


Privacy

by SteeleStingray



Category: Dissidia: Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VIII, Final Fantasy X
Genre: Abstinence, F/M, Friends getting some R&R, Gags, Magic, Matchmaking, Mutual Pining, Oops, Outdoor Sex, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Sex, Sharing a Bed, Squall and Cloud dunking on Tidus, Synesthesia, Team Bonding, Touch-Starved, between Cloud and Tifa, established relationships - Freeform, graphic depictions of Tidus being ass over teakettle in love with Yuna, just in one chapter though, porn with actually a lot of plot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-03
Updated: 2020-09-07
Packaged: 2021-03-01 09:49:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 45,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23469445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SteeleStingray/pseuds/SteeleStingray
Summary: After walking for days with very little rest, battling a constant horde of enemies, Cloud Strife finally finds their group a safe haven where they can rest. And everyone takes advantage of the rare privacy.(Now with mediocre art!)
Relationships: Rinoa Heartilly/Squall Leonhart, Tidus/Yuna (Final Fantasy X & X-2), Tifa Lockhart/Cloud Strife
Comments: 176
Kudos: 244





	1. Squall, Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> God, I wish this group was actually in Dissidia.
> 
> Anyways, a couple months ago, I promised myself that I would never write 3 stories at the same time ever again. And then...well...
> 
> I thought a few years ago that I had finally gotten Final Fantasy out of my system but no, apparently my obsession comes in waves and, with 7R coming out, I'm helpless again. To all other people who have come to read this, welcome, I hope you enjoy, but this story is written for one person and that person is future me.
> 
> Hello, future me. Bet you thought you'd gotten over Final Fantasy again, but surprise, you dumbass: here you are back with your one true love. There is no escape, there is only Final Fantasy.
> 
> Enjoy this story I wrote you. God knows you're thinking about writing another one, so hopefully this tides you over until then.

**Privacy**

**Disc 1-Heartbeat (Squall)**

He knew their accommodations would be less than ideal but Squall would have taken a rocky crag for a bed over walking another step.

After walking for several days through endless pitfalls of manikins and treacherous terrain, even a high-ranked SeeD like Squall was feeling the exhaustion in the bones of his feet and his hands. Meals had been taken in snatches, baths were rare and taken in quick turns when clean water could be found, and sleep was quick to sneak up on their party whenever any one of them sat still for more than a few moments. LionHeart had begun to weigh on him so heavily on his back that final afternoon, that Squall wondered if he had been carrying their entire group on his back.

Hell, even that bouncy bastard Tidus had fallen quiet and Squall had been reasonably certain that the man had never once walked in comfortable silence in the entirety of his nineteen years of life.

Cloud Strife--a pleasant companion, if only for his skill in battle and his tendency to keep his mouth shut--seemed to be the only one who wasn’t bone tired and offered to scout ahead without being asked. Tifa Lockhart had watched him go over the horizon, never once complaining, even though her eyes were etched with concern. Doubtless she wouldn’t be at ease until his return.

Seeing Rinoa holding one of her hands, Lady Yuna taking the other, Squall tried to make an effort. “Tifa.” She looked over at him, perhaps surprised to hear him speak and Squall felt his ears flush. “He’ll...he’ll be fine.”

Tifa smiled through her exhaustion and anxiety. “Mmm, Cloud always is.”

There was something wistful in her tone, as if it was not so much that his safety was a concern but the fact that he was leaving her side at all. Squall could not bring himself to dig any deeper but Rinoa noticed his genuine attempt at being sociable.

He was unsurprised when he felt her brush against his arm, her boots scuffing the ground in a pale shadow of her normally light step. She was tired too and Squall felt his own exhaustion abate a little, feeling her so close.

Even after days on the road, of hard fighting, she was still heartbreakingly lovely.

He was biased but he liked the soft brown glaze the sun had cast on her shoulders, cheeks and chest. Her dark hair was wild and windswept, her dark eyes burning low with that single-minded determination that had worn down his walls. Though her wings were away, he could feel them around him, at his cheeks and neck, infusing him with her powerful healing magic.

He felt her presence affect him as viscerally as if she had reached into his chest and squeezed his heart. 

“Angel,” he made his voice as quiet as possible so that Tifa, Tidus, and Yuna would not hear the nickname that was sure to bring Rinoa inordinate amounts of joy; he could feel her love and happiness like golden light through the bond they shared, “you’re tired?”

“Mmm a little.” She tried to make her voice light and unaffected but Squall knew her. “But we can’t stop now.”

“If you’re tired--”

“You’ll carry me again?” She asked in sweet excitement, a smile playing at the corners of her lips. She had lamented for ages after finding out that he had carried her from FH to Esthar and she had not been awake to enjoy it. He adored her so much that he half-considered offering to carry her again.

“I’d have to put down my sword.” He warned but Rinoa did not seem at all deterred.

“If we encounter more manikins, you can just grab me by the ankle and swing me around. Shout ‘Renzokuken’ and I’ll smite them from the face of the earth.” Her imitation of him was getting better and Squall couldn’t stop a quick smile from upturning his lips. Her smile brightened and she leaned her head against his arm. “I’ll protect you. I’m a SeeD knight.”

As always, he was unable to win against her. He couldn’t do anything with Tifa and Yuna and Tidus so close…

 _I adore you. I’d abandon this gunblade and carry you to the end of this planet if you asked me to. I want to hold your hand. I want to kiss you_. Rinoa could not only read his thoughts verbatim, but she could feel his emotions through the sorceress bond they shared. He knew she felt how desperate he was for her.

She blushed and winked at him. “Stop seducing me, Commander. Now is _hardly_ the time.”

“I-I wasn’t--”

Rinoa seemed perfectly happy to watch him sputter but Lady Yuna’s approach saved him from any further ‘misunderstandings’. Rinoa linked arms with her immediately and Squall felt Rinoa’s powerful healing magic enclose over the woman’s body like Rinoa’s ethereal wings were drawing her in. 

Squall nodded softly.

Though she seemed delicate, Lady Yuna was the admirable type to bear any hardship with silence and good grace. She would likely fall to the ground from exhaustion before impositioning her comrades for a short break. She did walk a little easier after Rinoa took her arm.

“Yuna, is everything all right? Is Tidus ok?” Rinoa glanced to where Tidus was trudging next to Tifa, his eyes on the ground while hers scanned the horizon. 

Yuna shook her head. “No, no. Nothing is wrong...I just find that you give me the strength to carry on.” Rinoa glowed at the compliment and Yuna smiled back; as always, Squall was amazed by Rinoa’s ability to make friends so easily. Every team was grateful for a powerful healer on hand but Rinoa had a habit of turning comrades into close friends. She had ingratiated herself with Tidus immediately, matching the man’s energy to the point that Squall was a little jealous of how well they got along. Tifa and Yuna fell for her charms not long after, the three of them often holding hands while they walked together, whispering and laughing like girls in the Garden did when they were sharing secrets.

Even Cloud, as taciturn as he was, had given in and cracked a smile when Rinoa had cast a hell of a Hastega spell on him and then perfectly mimicked the pose Cloud often made when he killed a manikin. 

It was all the encouragement she needed.

When her wings were out she had taken to vaulting over Cloud’s head, using his shoulders as a springboard to clear the spikes of his blond hair. Cloud let her do it, ignoring the thunderstruck expressions on his companion’s faces. When Tidus had tried something similar, Cloud had dodged the man’s grip and let Tidus crash to the earth with a yelp.

Seemingly only Rinoa could get away with it.

“Feeling better?” Rinoa asked Yuna, swinging their arms in a wide arc. Yuna’s long sleeves fluttered in the wind like petals and she smiled, the exhaustion clearing from her face.

“Yes. Normally I draw energy from my--from Tidus but...now it seems I should be his strength.”

Rinoa looked back, eyeing Tidus’ steady but uncharacteristically slow gait and Squall felt her power surge out towards Tifa and Tidus. “You’re right, Lady Yuna. We should save our strength.” Though he cautioned Yuna, he also hoped that Rinoa would not use all her energy. He wasn’t jealous… “We don’t know how much longer we’ll have to walk.”

“You’re right.” Yuna turned the full force of her gentle smile on him, placing her free hand over her heart, and Squall felt a little guilty. “I’ll...I’ll do all I can to keep from being a burden.”

“No--I…”

Rinoa winked at him. She knew what he was trying to do and she appreciated the effort. “We’re a team. You’re not a burden. Just stay close to us.” The two of them smiled at one another and Squall was awash in Rinoa’s love for Yuna.

A sweet interlude, though it was not meant to last.

It wasn’t long until they encountered another cluster of manikins, the soulless husks of crystal rushing them from the east. Tifa shattered one with one of her devastating kicks before it could lunge at Tidus. The man stumbled backward a few paces, assuring Yuna’s safety behind Squall and Rinoa before he also joined in the fray. It took the five of them a little longer than normal but the horde was in shards at their feet after they had recovered from being ambushed. 

Tifa put her hands on her knees, measuring her breaths, Tidus leaning on his sword so that the tip sank into the ground. Even Rinoa’s healing spell did not have the same potency as usual and Squall felt his muscles ache.

 _We need to rest_.

“I have some healing materia left.” Tifa said, offering the two glowing green stones in her hand. “Does anyone need it? I can...I can keep going.” She was a tough one.

“I’m good to go as well. Bring on more manikins!” Tidus said unconvincingly as he stretched out his arms and put his oceanic sword away. His bluster was impressive, if foolish. “I don’t need the materia.” He grimaced slightly at the magical stones and Squall was inclined to agree with him on that point. He had tried the materia once before and had not liked the sharp, artificial feeling of the stone sinking into his skin; the power it gave him felt polluted and unnatural. He honestly didn’t know how Tifa and Cloud could stand using it as often as they did.

“Rinoa?” Squall asked. Though he hated the materia, he’d use it for her.

Her head rested against the center of his back and Squall stiffened. He wanted to turn and embrace her but...it was hardly the time. “I’ll be fine. Let’s save it for if things are really desperate, yeah?”

Squall nodded, squeezing her hand before she stepped away from him. He felt the lack of her like a spot of ice on his back. 

“What is that?” 

Squall turned, hand on going for Lion Heart in case there was a threat. Instead it was simply Yuna who had spotted something and was pointing to the crest of a nearby hill, where Squall could see a glint of gold.

“Manikin?” Tifa was on edge, the materia disappearing back into one of her pockets.

“Treasure?” Tidus offered. 

Squall squinted his eyes to make out the shape. “Could be a chocobo?”

It was clearly the wrong answer with how hard Rinoa began to laugh, her body doubling over with the strength of it. Despite knowing that he was going to be teased mercilessly by her, Squall could not help but love the sound of her helpless laughter, watching as her hair rippled like dark water. Even as tired as she was, it was wonderful to see that she still had the strength to laugh.

“It’s Cloud!” She corrected once she had composed herself and Squall shook his head to hide his flush. 

_The man should change his hairstyle_ , Squall thought to himself and Rinoa shook with more laughter. 

“Are you sure?” Tifa was abreast of the two of them in a moment, her cheeks flushed. Though Squall was no expert on human emotion, even he was not so blind to think that the woman wasn’t in love with her blond companion. 

Squall did not see the appeal of a man who could be mistaken for a chocobo, but more power to Tifa.

Cloud had clearly heard them coming as well and covered the distance at a light jog. Tidus looked at the man like he was a freak of nature; Cloud had not even broken a sweat. 

“Cloud,” Tifa’s smile was all joy and relief, “did you find shelter?”

His intense eyes flicked to her and something like a smile threatened his lips. “Yes. There is a grove protected by the goddess about an hour west of here. There are manikins across the entire route but...we should be able to make it before sunset if we leave now. And if we’re lucky.”

When he caught Cloud’s eye, Squall could see that the man was being very upfront with their chances. He was not the type for senseless optimism. 

Safety was at a premium for their group and Squall wanted Rinoa to have a good night’s sleep. He was willing to risk it.

He looked over at his love and saw the fierce determination in her expression. 

Bits of hope, no matter how small, were as potent as potions to Rinoa. She took Yuna and Tifa’s hands and Squall saw the shimmering golden outline of her wings encircling their group, radiating healing magic. As powerful as she was, Squall was worried she would drain herself to keep them all alive. 

“We can do it.” She said confidently. “Right, Squall?”

He saw their whole party stand up straighter, even Cloud who arguably didn’t need the healing magic. 

_I’ll follow you wherever you go_ , he thought.

Instead he nodded at Rinoa and Cloud, seeing the delight suffusing Rinoa’s lovely features. He would slay a thousand manikins for her in that moment.

“Lead the way.”

An hour at Cloud’s pace turned out to be nearly two hours at a normal human pace and it was past sunset before they saw the sanctuary Cloud had promised.

The man was the only one with some semblance of energy left after they had all but stumbled away from several groups of manikins and saw the pale aquamarine and gold light of Cosmos surrounding a small forest. When Yuna stumbled and Tidus was not quick enough to get to her, Cloud had simply pulled her up against his side and walked the rest of the way half-carrying her. 

_He_ can’t _be human_ , Squall thought. Lion Heart felt like death on his back.

In the center of the forest was where their group was finally able to rest, Cloud having found what looked like the crumbling ruins at the edge of a hot spring. Though it was not the most ideal shelter, at least there was clean water, a place to build a fire and no threat from the manikins.

Tidus collapsed on his back, sighing in relief as Cloud deposited Yuna beside him.

“Thank you, Cloud. You were kind to help me.” She bowed her head to him and Squall saw Cloud’s throat bob as he averted his eyes. He was clearly unused to Yuna’s direct kindness and avoided it on principle.

Squall wondered why he hadn’t ever gotten someone with a similar temperament on his SeeD team. 

He had just set down Lion Heart as he scouted for a semi-comfortable place to sit and collect himself when Rinoa collided with him, her arms wrapping around his trim waist. Squall’s legs were too tired to hold them both up; he fell backwards with an audible ‘oof’ and Rinoa laughed against the fabric of his shirt. Unable to resist her, he simply lay still and occasionally stroked her dark hair. He supposed it was as good a spot as any to set up camp; as a SeeD he had rested in far more uncomfortable places, with blankets that were much more inferior...and less soft...and less beautiful. Blankets that didn’t snake their arms under his leather jacket to hold him tight and make him regret that he was so exhausted and around other people who’d get in the way. 

“You said ‘oof’.” She giggled.

“You’re heavy.” He responded and Rinoa nested her head against his chest. “I’ll push you off.” He couldn’t; he was too tired and...he liked holding her close.

“No you won’t.” She called his bluff and he felt weak healing magic soaking through his skin. “Just...let me rest a little longer…” Squall didn’t care if anyone saw; she could stay on his chest for the rest of time. Rinoa smiled, as Squall sent out constant feelings of adoration, even after she had gone limp against him, her breathing deep and even. As she dozed lightly on his rising chest, he watched Tifa and Cloud start a fire with their materia in an attempt to stay awake. Yuna and Tidus had not lasted long at all; they were prone and immobile, pressed so close that Squall could not distinguish between the two of them. 

The orange-red glow caused his vision to blur. 

_I’m so tired_ …

Seemingly from far away he heard Cloud’s voice. “Tifa. You should rest.” _She should. Let Cloud take the first watch_.

Squall dug his hand into the soft sable of Rinoa’s hair, his other arm curling around her waist, and

He woke up without ever having realized he had fallen asleep. 

His entire body dully ached but he did not have the telltale throbbing of a night spent on hard ground. Rinoa was warm and still sleeping against his chest, wings out and encasing them both in a fearsome protection spell. The feathers were soft against his back. 

_That explains some things._

The moment he made to sit up, his boots sank through the feathers, the wings flickering out from corporeal to ethereal. He touched where they had been, feeling them there, and smiled as Rinoa made a small noise of delight and curled up a little tighter on his chest. Still so tired, she did not stir again as he got to his knees, cradling her in his arms. She’d be angry that she had missed out on being carried again but he wanted to get them closer to the fire.

Most of their comrades were still asleep.

Tidus and Yuna were passed out where they had fallen, Tidus spread-eagle and Yuna sleeping on the bare strip of his dark stomach.

Tifa’s head was as close to Cloud as physically possible without actually touching him, he alternating between gazing at her and the low fire he was stoking with materia. As Squall approached, he saw the man tense tight as a coiled spring, one hand hovering protectively over Tifa’s dark head. At least someone was half-decent at keeping watch. 

The man relaxed as he recognized Squall, his hand dropping just behind Tifa’s head. Squall wondered which one of them would cave first. His money was on Cloud.

 _I think like Rinoa now_. It didn’t surprise him. 

“You’re awake.” Cloud said.

“Nothing gets past you.”

The left side of Cloud’s mouth quirked up. “More than I can say for you and Tidus. Sleeping like the dead.” So he _had_ been keeping watch, for gods knew how long. The man had to be a machine.

“I’ll take second watch.”

“Hmph, then I’ll sleep with one eye open.”

Cloud closed both eyes, powering down, and Squall again silently lamented not having a similar personality on his SeeD team.

Once he was reasonably sure that everyone was asleep and no one was watching, he finally held Rinoa close, starved of touch from her after so long sharing close quarters with four other people. His head he rested lightly on her collarbone, one hand rubbing circles on the sensitive part of her back where her wings connected to her skin. He was more recharged from her than from a full night’s sleep.

His feelings must have been even stronger than he realized, because he saw the outline of her wings shimmer in gold filaments, like a web, around him and heard her thoughts, heavy with sleep.

_Commander, so dirty. Touching my chest while I sleep._

Squall shook his head, smiling against the skin of her throat; it was useless to argue with her. _Just...recharging_.

 _I wish we were in Balamb so_ \--even addled by sleep Squall was knocked breathless by the sheer force of her desires. He’d be lying if he told her he wasn’t...tempted. It had been a longer dry spell than either of them were used to. But he was far more cautious than she was and he was also on watch. _Always so professional_.

 _Not always,_ he thought of one particular afternoon where he had skipped orientation for new SeeD recruits entirely because his mouth had inexplicably gotten caught up between Rinoa’s legs. Knuckles rapped against his chest before he could get too lost in thought.

 _You’re not helping me get back to sleep_. 

_Sorry, sorry_ . _I’ll think about things you hate, like paperwork and manikins and the many, many times you’ve lost to me at Triple Triad._ He laughed softly as a stream of sleepy curses entered his consciousness.

She settled back in, fading off to sleep as Squall kept his thoughts carefully neutral so that she could actually rest. But now that Rinoa had put the thought in his mind…

Without rousing her, Squall crossed his legs tight at the thighs, drew a fire spell from Rinoa to feed the campfire, and then stared carefully at the moon. 


	2. Squall, Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter should also be called, Squall is Irritated by Tidus. This story is going to be longer than 6 chapters, I can feel it (I'm now imagining 2 chapters for each character's POV...) What can I say? I've been watch walkthroughs for the remake and I'm full of ideas now.
> 
> Also one of my favorite small scenes from 8 is when Squall meets Rinoa again on the train and she rushes at him so hard that they both spin around. I imagine she does it a lot and Squall just indulges her. Next chapters will be Rinoa's and then I'll move on to Cloud/Tifa!

**Disc 1-Heartbeat (Squall)**

Sweet Yuna was awake before Tidus, at the very first haze of lavender that touched the sky. Her voice was so soft, Squall almost missed it. But he could not miss the feeling of her mismatched gaze on him. He had never seen eyes like hers before.

“Commander Leonhart.” She stood at a respectable distance, her hands clasped over her skirt. “I’d like to take the next watch, if...if you’re not opposed.” 

The woman had the amazing ability to request something with all decorum and yet somehow made it impossible to refuse. She would have made an admirable negotiator and, though she looked delicate and peaceful, Squall trusted her implicitly. He had also seen the hell she had raised when she changed weapons with those strange spheres of hers.

“Alright. Yell if there’s trouble.” He doubted there would be trouble in this protected glade, but he was nothing if not cautious.

She nodded before walking off to wake Tidus.

Squall needn’t have worried. 

He slept until mid-morning--an unheard of situation in his normal day--and woke to find Cloud and Yuna both awake as well near the black husk of their campfire. Rinoa stirred the moment Squall began to move in earnest. “Morning.” He whispered, clearing the hair from her eyes.

“Not awake.” She mumbled. “ Gotta kiss me awake.” When he was fairly certain Cloud and Yuna were not looking their way, he kissed her swiftly on the lips, unsurprised to find her lovely dark eyes open when he pulled back. “That wasn’t so hard, was it?”

_ It’s never hard to kiss you _ . He only regretted not kissing her sooner.

Though she slept later than Squall, Rinoa was notoriously quick to wake up and, buoyed by the kiss, she bounced to her feet and pulled Squall up with her, leading him towards Cloud and Yuna.

Eyes, blue and green, flicked up at their approach.

“Commander. Rinoa.” Yuna was delighted for what was likely more interesting company, her outstretched hand immediately being filled with Rinoa’s hand, the two of them linking fingers. “Cloud and I have been speaking about our plan but we would like your input as well. We are a team, after all.”

“Mhmm!” Rinoa sat next to Yuna, leaning her head on the woman’s shoulder. “What are our options?”

“I’m fine to continue but...” Though Cloud did not mention Tifa by name or look at her, it was clear he was thinking of her, “I realize it wouldn’t help to push ourselves to the limits. Who knows when we’ll have an opportunity like this again.”

“You want to rest another day?” Rinoa asked, leaning close so that she could make eye contact. Cloud drew back slightly.

“Uh--”

“Yes, I think that would be best as well.” Yuna added. “By the time the others wake and we find food and wash, it will already be fairly late in the afternoon. I feel...it may be dangerous to continue our journey so close to nightfall.” 

Squall nodded. Though indulgent, it was sound logic.

“I’m fine with it.” Rinoa said immediately. “I’ve been wanting to get in that water. I’m sure I stink.”

“I like the way you sm--.” Squall said unthinkingly and nearly choked on his own tongue before he finished his sentence. He was sure his cheeks were the same color as the fire materia, Rinoa turning a little pink as well. 

“So we’re staying another night; glad we solved that, moving on.” Cloud said in a desperate attempt to dissipate the awkward atmosphere. “Leonhart, are you fine with foraging?”

“Yeah.” SeeDs had a wide range of survival skills and, though he had always been better at the hunting aspect, roots and mushrooms did not generally put up as much of a fight. 

“I’ll go with you.” Yuna offered. “I-If it’s not too much trouble.”

“Uh--” Cloud and Squall made the same hesitant noise in unison; apparently the man was also concerned about having her with them but struggled to find either the excuse or the courage to refuse.

“Perfect!” Rinoa clapped her hands together, words coming easy to her while they eluded Squall and Cloud. “Three and three. I’ll start up the fire and heat the water while you’re gone. Make sure no one interrupts Tifa and Tidus’ beauty rest.” She winked at Yuna who smiled in response. “Gonna try and stop me, Cloud?”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” He responded, ducking his head to hide a brief smile. 

“She’s persistent like that.” Squall added.

Rinoa jumped to her feet so she could bump her hip against his. “You know you like it. Find us something delicious, ok?”  _ Handsome _ , she tacked on mentally.

In the end, having Yuna with them was an unexpected boon.

For starters, she was perfectly content with her own company, only offering up her thoughts when Cloud or Squall broached the silence first. With those strange illusion spheres she used to alter her clothes and weaponry, her robes dissipated into some kind of tracking gear, a hunting knife at her hip and rifle that Irvine would use strapped across her back. Between the goddess’ blessing on the woods, Cloud’s inhuman hearing, and Yuna and Squall’s aims with their guns, the three of them were a brutally efficient hunting team, not to mention the myriad of root vegetables and mushrooms they found growing in abundance.

“Think they’re poisonous?” Cloud asked, inspecting the simple white caps with a discerning eye.

“I’d hope Cosmos wouldn’t poison her warriors.” Squall replied. 

“If anything, a strong Esuna would clear them of toxins. If only we had a sorceress in the party to provide such a service.” Yuna’s professional veneer did not crack into laughter as Squall looked back at her. 

They had made the right decision by choosing to stay another night.

By the time they had gathered enough provisions to adequately feed their group of six, it was already late in the afternoon and Squall almost wanted a hot bath more than he wanted the food. He got a jolt of energy when he saw Rinoa stand at his approach, her dark eyes alight with a breathtaking golden sheen that took over her whenever she was using a lot of magic. Tifa and Tidus were also awake, a fire crackling healthily in a pit that they had set up while Squall and his team were away. One of them had also made a rudimentary spit for roasting, apparently their entire group allergic to remaining idle.

Rinoa was at Squall so quickly that her momentum almost whirled him in a full circle, her boots missing Cloud’s head by inches as he ducked. “You’re back! I’ve warmed the water up for us!” That would explain the gold in her eyes and the warmth of her palms. 

“Want to go first?” He asked, unable to keep from smiling a little. “I think you worked harder.”

The spring was set low in a basin of pale gray rock, supplied with clear, fresh water from a small waterfall on the northern side. Though it was probably the same size as Balamb’s ballroom, Squall had thought it looked deep and he doubted if the combined magic of himself, Tifa, Cloud, Tidus, and Yuna could have gotten the water much past lukewarm. 

Apparently it was the correct response, her renewed energy glowing in him as a mirror.

“My honorable knight!” All teasing dramatics she kissed his lips and Squall gave a tiny laugh of disbelief. “Letting me have the first turn.”

Squall set her down and felt like teasing her in return. “It’s because you smell.”

Her eyes narrowed, though her smile did not dim. “You  _ like  _ the way I smell.”

Squall squeezed her waist once before releasing her, ignoring Cloud shaking his head, as Rinoa ran to Yuna and Tifa linking her arms through theirs. Squall watched her with fondness, only sobering up when Tidus stood, rolling his shoulders, as he followed the three women with complete unconcern.

He had to be out of his mind. 

Moving in tandem to the entrance of the spring, Squall and Cloud both slapped Tidus squarely in the center of the chest, pushing him backwards. The two men shot each other a glance and brief matching smiles--although it was likely no one else in their group would consider them anything close to a smile--before they returned their ire to the bold fool in front of them. 

“Where the fuck do you think you’re going?” Cloud asked. 

“Are you not going to wash off?” Tidus scratched at the back of his head, perhaps considering why the two of them were so comfortable while being so filthy

“Wait your turn.” Squall said. 

Tidus looked supremely confused when Cloud pitched in. “If you try to pass me, I’ll end you.”

“Tidus!” There was a laughing call from Yuna behind the rocky outcropping. “They’re not from Spira. Their clothes aren’t waterproof.”  _ Ah, that explained things _ . Squall watched as the truth slowly dawned on Tidus: that he had been about to walk into the three women undressing and Squall and Cloud would have murdered him for it. His cheeks and ears flushed red as he scratched his hair.

“My bad.”

Thank the goddess of the world, embarrassment seemed to halt Tidus’ motor mouth and the three of them were able to sit in companionable silence on almost opposite ends of the glade. Cloud guarded the area closest, his elbow resting on the hilt of his massive sword as if in threat; he cocked his head occasionally, his mouth quirking up, and Squall was still fairly certain that whatever made the man so fiendishly strong had also given him powerful hearing.

Squall wondered what Rinoa was saying to Tifa and Yuna to cause the man to smile.

There was no doubt in his mind that she was the cause. She had also been bombarding him with her constant wish that he join her in the bath, her feelings like honey in the back of his throat. He shook his head to hide his smile.

_ Cloud will  _ kill _ me if I come anywhere near that water. It’s not that… I don’t want to… _

Squall was awash in the idea of the shine of the water on her skin, her elegant hands sliding over her arms and legs, and he had to stop before he seriously considered trying to pass Cloud.

Cloud glanced up at Squall, one gloved fist moving up to cover his mouth as his shoulders shook slightly. Squall could not hear as well as the man but...he knew Rinoa. He knew the mouth on her, knew she flirted as easily as she breathed, and he could only  _ imagine  _ what she was telling Yuna and Tifa. 

_ Rinoa,  _ please. _ He can  _ hear _ you. _

Her response was a soft kiss on the top of his ear, her whisper just as sweet.  _ I know. I’m doing it on purpose _ .  _ Maybe then he’ll stop shuffling his feet...like  _ someone _ I know _ . 

_ Tifa _ . Squall shook his head. She was meddling for Tifa. 

It was useless to try and stop her.

He ruffled her hair when she finally emerged, heat steaming up from her skin. Back in the gardens he would have wound his arms around her soft stomach, pulling her off her feet, the white towels she favored sliding low on the swell of her chest drawing his eyes and the tips of his fingers--Part of him hoped the water had turned cold in hopes of calming himself down. That was how he had always dealt with things in the mornings before he’d had Rinoa with him; a freezing cold blast of water to wrest control back over his body. 

No such luck.

So used to military life and shared bathing accommodations, he stripped down to his bare skin without a second thought, though he kept his back to Cloud and Tidus. The water embraced him, as warm as Rinoa’s hands had been, and he groaned as his muscles liquefied. He had to focus, to not think of her, even as he felt her magic all around his uncoiling body.

At least Cloud and Tidus--for once--seemed fine with bathing with minimal conversation. Cloud washed silently, efficiently at the opposite end of the pool while Tidus swam fluidly to the center and dove under the surface for what seemed like ages. Apparently the man could either breathe underwater or had the lungs of a god. 

Squall closed his eyes and tried to think of cold and calm and isolation. It wasn’t working well.

The bite of sharp metal across the bridge of his-- _ Rinoa’s warm breath, in short gasps from where her lips were almost pressed against the jagged slice of his scar _ . Cold outdoor stakeouts when the moon was full-- _ the silver cast of it across the curves of her bare skin as Squall traced it with his fingertips _ . The feeling of being alone in his room-- _ until she walked in, hips tilting as her clothes pooled at her feet _ . Sharp wind replaced with the feeling of her naked and pressed up against his chest, bombs and battlefield lost in her sweetly crying his name, scars of harsh SeeD training overwritten with the desperate scrabble of her fingernails down his back and arms. There was the warmth of Rinoa, her shade across everything he thought of.

And he prayed that Tidus could not  _ see  _ underwater. 

_ You’re getting better about it _ .

_ About what? _ He thought as Rinoa leaned against him, boneless from a hot bath, warm food, and the blazing campfire.

_ Making friends. _

Squall had never been much good with strangers. It had taken him almost all his lifetime to trust Quistis and Zell outside of a battlefield. Selphie had somehow managed to worm her way into his good graces and Irvine was...okay. But this group was a little easier. They were…

_ They’re a lot like us _ , he admitted. 

Sitting around the campfire, the women and Tidus conversed with the ease of old friends, sometimes managing to drag thoughts out of Squall or Cloud. He supposed that was close enough for his attempts at making friends.

Squall mostly liked to listen and watch. He learned from listening and watching and he knew the other four much better for it. Hell, it was almost like looking in a mirror or at his SeeD team; sometimes Rinoa as well, and Squall’s chest always ached when the world hardened her a little more. 

Caution, war, and loss were etched onto their words and movements. He saw the far-off, glazed gazes of people who had been through hell, smiles tinged with sadness, bodies jerking at the slightest foreign noise. Hell, the couples orbited each other as if their worlds would implode if they were separated. Squall would be willing to bet gil that they had lost homes, friends, families, or loved ones. And lost them violently. Even Tidus, with all his energy and good-humor, often looked over Yuna with such rabid, desperate adoration that it made Squall empathize with him a little. He must have almost lost her once…

“Yes.” He startled a little when her thoughts were spoken aloud, even at a whisper. “In love.”

Squall looked down at her, the fire flickering orange and red in the depths of her dark eyes, and felt something so deep and viscerally good, he could not even begin to name it. She still saw the beauty in things first, saw the way that there was some joy amidst their pain.

“What about love?” Tidus asked, jerking them from their silent conversation.

Rinoa was quicker. “Squall was professing his love for me again. It’s astonishing how he’s able to do anything else with how often he tells me.” Yuna and Tifa both covered their mouths with their hands as they laughed and Squall shook his head, too relaxed to fight it. 

Tidus stretched his dark arms behind his head, smiling as if he’d learned something wild. “Who would have thought? Never expected it from you, Squall.”

“Truly, I’m a mystery.” Squall sighed.

“I expect you’re the same.” Rinoa turned her endless teasing nature on Tidus next and Squall felt an irrational pinprick of jealousy. “I bet you confessed to Yuna the moment you saw her eyes. I would have.” Yuna beamed at her. 

It flashed across Tidus’ expression for a moment.  _ Ah, there it was. Loss _ . Despite how Squall found the man’s personality abrasive, he did not like the look on Tidus. At least Tidus recovered quickly. 

“Nah. Yuna beat me to it when...I had to go away for a while.”

“At least you had something.” Tifa said quickly. She had noticed the tense atmosphere and was trying to dissipate it. “And your...best friend doesn’t just show up on your doorstep after five years away without a word of warning.” Cloud glanced sidelong at her. “What? You’re good at disappearing, Cloud.”

“I bet I could pick him out of a crowd.” Rinoa offered. “The sword kind of gives you away.”

“My pockets aren’t big enough to hide it.” Cloud’s expression didn’t change as he made his joke. It still made Rinoa throw back her head and laugh, her exuberance too strong to be hidden behind her hands.

“Could have fooled me.” Tifa smiled. “There’s a reason we have you hold most of the materia.” She rapped her knuckles against the side of his thigh and they all heard the telltale clatter of materia. 

“I bet it gets caught on things.” Squall added; he hardly had room to judge, as his gunblade was unwieldy at times.

“I think...it depends, doesn’t it?” Yuna said softly, tilting her head as she folded her hands over her chest. “If you use words to express yourself then your actions will resonate. And...if you’re a man--a  _ person _ of action then your words will resonate. That’s why I had to say it first. There couldn’t be any question of my feelings.”

“If in doubt, you can always use blackmail.” Rinoa said and Squall pinched the bridge of his nose in disbelief. 

“Or alcohol.” Tifa winked at Rinoa. “If some wayward goddess sends you to Edge, drop by our bar; drinks are on the house for all of you.”

“Perfect! A few glasses of champagne and Squall dances with me.” It had been her persistence more than the alcohol.

“You’re trouble.” Squall whispered as he scratched at the spot on her ribs where she was ticklish and Rinoa squeaked a laugh. He stopped immediately, his fingers tingling with the desire to touch her more. 

“We don’t have anything that fancy but...I’m sure there’s something that can help you guys unwind.”

“So Squall needs alcohol to dance. What will get Cloud to dance?” Tidus asked and, to his credit, he did not wither under the sharp gaze Cloud shot his way. 

“None of your goddamn business. Tifa, not a word.” 

“Andrea will be disappointed.” She replied, smiling at his expression.

“Oh my god…”

“You drag us into this, you’re gonna be dancing too.” Squall would hold Tidus at gunpoint if he had to. 

His wide smile was cocky. “Sure thing! Can’t be too hard right? Just like fighting only no weapons. Though it will be a shame… Yuna dances so beautifully, I won’t be able to see her as well when I’m right next to her.” Yuna bumped her shoulder into his, her cheeks flushed, and Squall was surprised to again find he had something in common with Tidus.

Though the Guardian Forces had wreaked havoc on his ability to remember things from his youth, he refused to let them swallow his first memories of Rinoa. Seeing her in that dress only a few shades lighter than her skin, her smile like she already knew that Squall would fall for her. So light on her feet, Rinoa was enchanting with her smooth steps and shifting hips. They had attended several parties in Balamb and Esthar since their battle with Ultimecia, and though he had danced  _ with _ her again and again, he liked to watch from a distance. His practiced gaze was able to take in every detail: the delight in her eyes, the flush in her cheeks, the skillful way her body moved. She was already naturally lively but dancing only enhanced what was already beautiful. 

Rinoa shifted her head from his shoulder to his chest, as Tidus continued to antagonize Cloud with his aggressive cheerfulness, Tifa almost on the verge of laughter.

They weren’t bad people. He’d be grateful to have any one of them on a SeeD team of his...though Tidus would have to be in small doses.

“See?” Rinoa whispered. “They  _ are _ a lot like us.”

They were plagued by loss and sorrow and violence but they also danced and joked with their comrades and loved. When he was sure no eyes were on them, Squall leaned down and kissed the elegant curve of Rinoa’s neck, breathless for how much he loved her, for what she helped him see in the people around him.

It was...nice to sit by the campfire and listen to the conversation until the flames burned low.


	3. Rinoa, Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I cannot tell you all how thirsty I am for Final Fantasy. I promise there will be love but I'm working up to it haha!  
> I really love Rinoa a lot by the way; hopefully I've made her as charmingly chaotic as she was in the game. I don't know why, it just kind of happened but she's also in 100% love with both Tifa and Yuna.   
> I'm not sure if this is how the bond really works in the game but I like the idea of Squall and Rinoa teasing each other telepathically and her having almost like a synesthesia-type deal for comrades. Hell, she is the most powerful sorceress, I'll just roll with it.   
> Also, a lot of you really wanted to know what she was saying in the water so...enjoy haha! Get wrecked Cloud.

**Disc 1- Heartbeat (Rinoa)**

Even after two years of having them, Rinoa was still getting used to her sorceress powers.

The sheer amount of magical power inside her had been easy to grow accustomed to, especially in the heat of battle. She was fairly used to her wings, whether they were visible or not, although sometimes they would reach out and gently brush against one of her friends, sending out magic naturally when they were injured or tired. But it was still jarring when she  _ felt _ people.

Squall was no issue.

Of all the bonds, hers and Squall’s was the most powerful. She had always been aware of him: where he was, what he might be feeling, what he might be thinking, so it wasn’t too difficult to have a magical bond with him. It was simply that now she did not have to guess his feelings, she could feel them as if they were her own. And she could  _ feel _ him wherever he was, like a silvery heartbeat, whether he was in the room next to her or lost in time itself. And it was clear that he could feel her too--feel her pain or her happiness--and reacted accordingly.

But she could also, to a lesser extent, feel the strong emotions of her friends.

Selphie’s delight, like rays of warm sunshine, Irvine’s intense desires, Zell’s fiery bursts of annoyance, Quistis’ intense focus, like the cool points of icicles. They surprised her when she felt them.

Having traveled with their current group for several days, she was starting to feel them as well. 

Tidus’ emotions were the first to touch her, likely because his personality was so strong and she genuinely enjoyed his company. His optimism and joy, unstoppable and warm as a tropical tide, broached her defenses on day three and since then his emotions were always the strongest in the group, save Squall’s. 

“Noa!” He called her, one of his heavy warm arms going over her shoulder and she felt Squall’s unspoken irritation in a quick bolt of fire. He was not used to Tidus’ touchiness. “Is there machina in your world?”

His dark skin radiated heat. 

“Machina?” 

“Machines, guns, things that need nuts and bolts and cogs and springs. Machina!” Sometimes listening to the others talk, it was like hearing an entirely different language and Rinoa liked to roll the words around in her mouth:  _ machina, Spira, Yevon, Zanarkand, Midgar, Shin-ra, materia, mako _ . She tried to imagine them in her mind, like something from a fantasy novel. 

“Of course! Squall and I live in Balamb Garden, the SeeD school and it can fly!” Tidus’ eyes glinted like the sun off of the sea and Rinoa had pulled Squall closer to her so that she could tell Tidus how they had discovered Balamb could fly. Squall contributed occasional sighs and shakes of his head at her retelling, remembering how tense the whole situation had been; she mostly remembered how incredibly handsome he had looked while under duress, giving orders with flint in his voice that matched his eyes.

Despite Rinoa’s biased storytelling, Tidus’ passion and interest had flowed into her unrestrained. “Man, I’d love to see that…”

Easy to read, but passionate and friendly, she liked being around Tidus.

Tifa was the next easiest to feel, her feelings smooth and comforting, like the feeling of holding polished river stones.

Rinoa was soothed just being around her and felt safe when holding on to Tifa’s strong, wiry arms. Even when manikins appeared, Tifa never wavered or felt fear, only cool, calculating determination. It seemed nothing could shake her, though Rinoa knew otherwise: occasionally--usually when Cloud was concerned--her emotions were so deep and profound that it almost made Rinoa want to embrace the woman. 

Rinoa knew the intense feeling all too well, heart pulsing painfully with the cries of  _ look at me, see me, love me _ . She was somewhat of an expert in seducing the strong, silent, and wholly oblivious type. And, after soaking with the woman, Rinoa was of the mind that if Cloud didn’t think Tifa was the entire package, then he was a stone-cold idiot.

Yuna was careful with her feelings and Rinoa received them in stuttered bursts.

She was constantly correcting herself, whether it was her words, her actions, or even her feelings. Like a perfectly embroidered length of silk, Rinoa was fascinated by her because they were so fundamentally different: Rinoa could not hold back anything she felt or thought while Yuna tempered herself at every turn. Rinoa had never met anyone so cultured and might have been jealous of the woman’s polish and control over herself. However, Yuna was  _ good _ , wholly and unmistakably good, and Rinoa adored her for it.

Cloud was the hardest to feel.

His mind was tangled snares most of the time, like wading through hostile tendrils of mist, but sometimes his feelings would cut hard and fast, with such strength she almost saw them as images, felt them like words in her mouth.

When she grinned at him, leapt over his shoulders, pushed him with her elbows when she felt Tifa yearning, Rinoa felt it in her heart, in her muscles, in her teeth:

_ Zack _ . 

When they walked through a field of flowers and the breeze ruffled Yuna’s brown hair, Cloud’s feelings hit her so hard that she almost stumbled. Though nameless, she saw the flowers in the basket, saw the long brown hair and the bright green eyes that brought Cloud so much pain and regret and fondness. 

She had contemplated begging Tifa to embrace Cloud when Squall wiped at her cheeks, startling her.

“You’re crying?” He had whispered, concerned.

She wiped her cheeks, surprised to find them wet, and quickly patted them dry before Cloud could notice. “I-It’s alright, I just…” She had no secrets from Squall and knew it was useless to brush things off when he could feel what she felt, his eyes flicking to Cloud.

“Let him be. He’s...better off if you don’t push him.”

She nodded and felt a little better as Squall kissed her cheeks. Cloud Strife was proof enough for her that the powers of a sorceress, feeling people’s emotions was painful. She had felt a gaze on her, knowing that the power could only come from the electric blue of Cloud’s eyes and Rinoa knew:

_ He can hear us _ .

It was too much power and she intended to use it to her advantage. Cloud Strife had no idea who he was dealing with.

Rinoa wanted him to hear her praise Tifa to the heavens. And Tifa made it so easy; she was built like a goddess, her body somehow even more beautiful for its numerous scars. As the three of them took their turn in the pool, she must have felt Rinoa’s gaze and blushed slightly.

“What is it, Rinoa? Am I injured somewhere?” She twisted to see if something was amiss on her back and her abdomen flexed with the firm muscles of years of rigorous training. Having spent so much time with the insanely fit SeeDs, Rinoa was appropriately impressed.

“I was just thinking I’ve never seen anyone half so beautiful as you.” Rinoa said easily, smiling wider when Tifa smiled and curled a lock of hair behind her ear. She liked giving compliments, she, Selphie, and Quistis exchanging them like others exchanged Triad cards. “If I was a man I’d never be able to do anything else but thank the gods over my luck. Don’t you think so Yuna?” 

Yuna was also gorgeous, smooth as if her skin had been carved from a seashell and she smiled back at Rinoa. “I agree.”

Tifa looked at her in disbelief, her cheeks so red that they brought out the brown in her eyes. 

Rinoa mouthed ‘Cloud’ to Yuna, placing her fingers by her ear and Yuna nodded in understanding. The water was the absolute perfect level of heat and Rinoa moved forward easily in the water, coming abreast of Tifa. “So?”

“S-so, what?” 

“So, do you have someone you like? Someone special? Like how I have Squall and Yuna has Tidus.” Rinoa leaned forward, resisting the urge to bump Tifa’s hip with her own. “Surely you have to!”

Tifa twisted her hands together. “O-Of--I’m far too busy to really--”

“I bet he’s very handsome.” Yuna said. She cut through the pool more gracefully than Rinoa walked on land, as if she had been raised in water. “And...and very brave.”

“Strong too.”

“You both are unbelievable!” Tifa laughed, trying to ignore them both and failing spectacularly. 

Yuna took her hands. “We can keep a secret, Tifa. I imagine he’s very kind to you. What do you think, Rinoa? Someone sweet and strong to match Tifa.”

“Mmmm. He wouldn’t be very charming though.” Rinoa felt Squall’s confusion through their bond and lightly ignored him as she watched Tifa laugh, clearly having someone who was not very charming in mind. “Bit shy too, I’d think?” Yuna nodded in delighted agreement and Rinoa channeled her inner Irvine to really seal the deal. “But, you know? We can probably forgive that if he has a big di--”

“ _ Rinoa! _ ” Tifa was hysterical with laughter as she clapped a hand over Rinoa’s mouth.

Yuna too was flushed, her hands covering most of her face; she was a well-bred lady who wouldn’t dream of taking things so far. Luckily Rinoa had no shame and she giggled as she felt Squall again wondering what she was saying to put Cloud in such a state. 

_ If only you were here with me, then you would know _ , she teased.

She had to stop though; thinking of bathing with Squall with his precious scars and tight wiry arms and clever hands and--

She kissed the palm of Tifa’s hand and Tifa lowered it hesitantly. “What am I saying? I’ve only known you this short time and I think no man is good enough for you. I only hope if there is someone,” she paddled backwards, knowing, “that he knows how lucky he is to have you. Let me know if not. I’ll make sure every bath he takes is cold.”

She shot a shimmer of ice from her fingertips and the feathers of her wings appeared for a split second. 

“Amazing.” Tifa breathed.

“And Squall is good to you?” Yuna asked, wetting her hair so it gleamed even darker. Neither Tifa or Rinoa had to ask if Tidus was good to Yuna; it was clear that if Yuna asked for his heart, he would have carved it from his chest for her. 

It was dangerous to talk about Squall.

Surely in such a short amount of time Yuna and Tifa couldn’t understand how charming he could be: his secret warmth, his private smiles, his dry sense of humor. Cold hands, warm heart, that was Squall and she was forever glad that her hunch that first night in the Balamb Garden ballroom had been right. She pulled up her legs so that she could float in the warm water, spreading out her arms to casually keep her on the surface. 

She knew him better than anyone; he had trusted her with his mind, giving up his cherished privacy because he loved her. She would never take such a thing for granted. 

“He’s good.” Rinoa closed her eyes, the words coming as warm as the water. She wanted him; the hunger never abated, it only grew and it might have been alarming if she didn’t know that he felt the same way about her. “So...so good.” She felt him begging her through their bond to chill the water, reminding her that Cloud Strife would kill him if he tried to join her. “Looks even better in the water. Oh gods I’m a fool; we should have bathed in pairs.” 

Yuna laughed at her gall and Tifa flushed again.

_ Rinoa, it would be rude to take a two-hour long bath _ , Squall had clearly given up on trying to deter her.

_ Fine, fine. I’ll behave. I’ll  _ try  _ anyway _ .

She got to her feet, grinning. “So! Tell me about Spira and Edge! If they’re not wonderful, I swear I’m going to ask the goddess to let you both come back with me.”

Despite only knowing them for a little less than two weeks, Rinoa liked all four of her new team members. After spending pleasant hours talking with them over the blazing campfire as night fell, she would honestly be happy to have all of them return with her to Balamb Gardens. Even Cloud, who--at times--had all the delicacy of a brick through a window, was oddly charming and she wanted to needle him.

He remained mostly silent, perched next to Tifa, only really speaking when someone asked him a direct question. Though he did start to ask questions after Rinoa stoked the fire, her wings shimmering into existence for a split second.

Her body shuddered, toes curling as Squall rubbed the sensitive spot on her back between where the wings met her skin. He was softly smug and Rinoa shot Squall a glare. 

“What does it feel like? To be a sorceress.” Cloud asked, out of nowhere. It was rare that he started a conversation and everyone else fell silent.

“Oh, he  _ can _ spea--” Tidus started, amazed.

“You’re not a sorceress.” Cloud interrupted. “I wasn’t asking you.”

Rinoa laughed at his gall. “It’s...it’s hard to explain. I still feel like myself but,” Squall watched as she opened and closed her fist, “the power is part of me too. I can tone it out when I’m not in a fight but when I do think of it...it’s like my body has an entire star inside and it grows even when I let the power out. You can understand, can’t you Cloud?”

He stared unblinking for a moment. “Yeah...yeah I do.”

_ Mako _ , she rolled the foreign word around in her mouth, wondering briefly of its importance..

“You’re not worried that it will--” His blond spikes shuddered and Rinoa smiled at him. 

“That it will destroy me?”  _ Ah, the man is proficient at light, casual conversation _ , Squall was unimpressed and Rinoa had to try very hard not to break into hysterical laughter in the face of his dry humor.

“Cloud!” Tifa gasped.

“Or that someone else will.” Cloud said, glancing towards Squall. “Didn’t you say your team hunts sorceresses?” Though Cloud’s expression remained calm and unchanged, she felt him bristle, felt him push against fate like a blow. 

Squall’s fury was like ice and Rinoa took his hand. She was not scared of him, she was never afraid of Squall. “No. No, I’m not worried about that. My only fear is that someone will lock me up and keep me in a cell until…” Cloud’s feelings were dark and intense, punctuated with thick, bubbling blue, like his eyes, and Rinoa winced at the familiar feeling of being trapped, “you know how terrible that would be. Luckily Squall is good at getting me out. Despite his looks, he’s quite the delinquent.”

Tidus laughed, breaking the tense atmosphere, just as Rinoa had intended. “A delinquent? Really?”

Squall glanced down at her.  _ Please? Now isn’t the time to think about suffering _ , she thought and he sighed in defeat.

“I’m...the worst of the worst.”

He was very good at breaking rules, causing mayhem, and breaking into places he wasn’t supposed to go. He also liked to pretend he was so cool and aloof when really he liked to rub that spot on her back or rest his hand just so on her ribcage so that his index and middle finger rested against the bottom curve of her chest or how, when his hand inexorably moved to her waist, he liked to trace the waistband of her shorts with his thumb. Squall, the absolute worst at being a tease. 

“Bet you cause trouble too.” She fired back at Cloud as Tidus began to grill Squall in earnest. 

“Never.” Cloud responded, but his mouth turned up. 

Tifa had kept them enraptured and laughing for the next hour, regaling their group with some of the wilder exploits she and Cloud had gotten into with their team. Rinoa was still giggling softly about the Golden Saucer long after their group had wandered off to their own private alcoves to get some rest, trying her best not to wake Squall. 

She was resting on his chest, soothed by the steady pulse of his heart and the even rhythm of his dreams, his arms and jacket serving as her blanket. Squall fell asleep so easily, but it took her a little longer to give in, the action more like being lulled rather than a mechanical powering down.

_ I’m going to miss them _ , she thought as she closed her eyes. 

Another battle ahead, with no promise of reunion or return--she couldn’t think about and she felt Squall shift restlessly at her negative feelings. She broadcasted her fondness for him, her assurance, feeling warm delight as he settled back into an easy slumber.

The chaotic god of this world had never seen a sorceress like her before. She’d throw him into the depths of space before he could hurt any one of her companions.

Sleep had a hold on her now, her thoughts becoming sweet and fuzzy and mostly centered on how warm Squall was…

It hit her suddenly. 

Rinoa was roused sharply from her dozing by the feelings of Yuna, the strength of them hitting her breathless. 

She crossed her legs tight at the thighs and sat up slowly.

The fire had died down to orange embers and--from what she could see in the dark--the glade was still and serene, not a noise past the soft rustle of leaves. And yet...she could  _ feel _ Yuna was awake and awash in something that was so powerful, even someone poised and cultured as her could not hold back.

Rinoa’s legs and lower back shuddered; she knew the familiar feeling and it shocked her a little. It was so...sudden.

She thanked the goddess of this world that Squall was so tired, because normally the slightest noise or motion would rouse him to clear wakefulness, a habit shared by most SeeDs. But he lay still, breathing even as she slipped free of his arms. It was rare she saw him deep in the throes of sleep and she made the mistake of pausing for a look. 

In sleep, Squall’s face was smooth and he looked young, all of nineteen. His dark hair had gotten longer since when she had first met him and she noticed how he had protectively curved around where her body had been before. Touching the firm line of his jaw with light fingers, his breath hitched a little and his mouth quirked up in the quick shade of a smile. Rinoa would have destroyed ten thousand manikins for him in that moment.

It was also the worst moment for another wave of abject desire to hit her right behind her navel and she almost did something wildly rash.

Instead she let Squall continue to sleep and stumbled a few steps away from their sleeping area to a pale boulder that was large enough to hide her from view. She sank to the grass, knees knocking and thighs trembling as the heat hit her in shorter and shorter intervals. The cool stone felt good on the back of her neck as she let the feelings wash over her.

As she tried to calm herself, Rinoa realized why the sensation was so strong: it was the combined, voracious desire of both Tidus and Yuna. 

Given the intensity of their days and the fact that they had been sleeping uneasy in open fields and rocky crags until the past two days, it had been nigh impossible to progress past holding hands or a quick embrace and Tidus--from what Rinoa had seen--showed his affection through touch. They were taking advantage of the rare privacy.  _ Never thought Yuna would be the one _ ...

Hell it had been nearly two weeks since she and Squall had been able to do more than exchange light kisses. 

“Damn it…” She hissed pressing her wrists between her legs, hoping that coiling herself tight would help her regain some modicum of control over her body. She’d wake Squall otherwise.

_ Good _ . No, she’d promised to behave. Or to try at least.

It was hard to behave when it clearly the rare passion that could only come about when survival was not assured, when clothes tore easily as tissue paper and pleasure came less like staccato bursts and more like a solid, helpless rush, so strong it was almost tangible. She knew. She knew after...after the Ragnarok, when she was going to be locked away for eons, when she had fifteen hours of freedom, and Squall’s presence was the only thing holding her together. 

Something sweet to remember while locked away for an eternity, her legs floating and toes pointed like a dancer’s, one of Squall’s arms locked around her waist to keep her from slipping into the air of the cabin. Rinoa couldn’t breathe, hoping that she would suffocate in the smooth line of his throat or that her heart would give out as she raked even, red furrows down his back and arms. While she was feral, he was gentle, his lips and legs trembling as he memorized her for the ‘last’ time. Countless orgasms since, but few had ever come close to shattering her and taming Squall like their time aboard the Ragnarok had. 

It was a mistake for even thinking of that time and Rinoa lost all her tension, simply letting the desire happen. She had always been weak to it, even as the greatest sorceress…

She lifted her hair to cool her neck against the stone and the feeling made her inhale sharply. 

“Rinoa. Angel.”

Rinoa looked up, smiling in spite of herself. 

She loved that he called her ‘angel’. She loved that his concern drowned out the desire. He was concerned for her, worried to wake up and find her gone from his arms. She loved that he was  _ here _ .

Both arms she clenched between her thighs, trying again to hold things in. “Squall.” Her voice sounded breathy and a little too blasé and she watched his white shirt stretch tight against the muscles of his back as he knelt in front of her. 

Gods, she  _ wanted  _ him and he smiled quickly, the expression nearly lost in the dark.

“Why did you leave?” Squall asked, his voice unerringly calm though she could feel his worry and in confusion at whatever she was broadcasting across their bond. 

“I didn’t want to wake you.” 

“Good job.” He teased her and she grinned at him, feeling heat like liquid metal in her hips. Squall inched closer, her legs spreading in accommodation so that his body took the place of her arms.  _ You should have just woken me. I get...worried when I wake up and you’re not there… _

“Sorry.” She whispered. Somehow her hands were in his hair and he leaned into the touch, like a cat would. “It’s hard to calm down when you’re... _ right there _ and you look so…” Rinoa’s throat was hot. “You need rest. We both do.”

Squall shrugged, the muscles of his shoulders bunching attractively. Rinoa wanted to bite them and Squall glanced back at her, smiling again at her thoughts.  _ Wicked, aren’t you? Well...we’re already awake… _

_ Seriously? _ Her heart thumped unevenly. Normally Squall was very private with his physical displays of love, too shy to do much past a quick kiss when there were people around. Part of his charm, she liked that his affection was something only she enjoyed. 

“Unless you don’t want to.” His nonchalance was all for show. She and Squall had matching desire--voracious and quick--he was just better at controlling his outward expressions. Sensing it through their bond made her feel like she was floating again, burning just under her skin.

Rinoa fisted her hands in the fabric of his shirt to keep flames from shooting from her fingertips and Squall curved into her.  _ Who’s being wicked now? _

He smiled wider.

Squall smiled a lot; he knew how much it destroyed her.


	4. Rinoa, Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a hot minute but I'm back with the final part of the Squall/Rinoa section! All that build-up for this final chapter of smut; I hope future me enjoys it.  
> Also, I feel like after 2 years together, Squall has started to adopt some of RInoa's mannerisms. He has a little bit of a teasing streak, has made it his life's goal to please her as much as he can, and has just kind of given in to being ordered around if it makes her happy. They're in love <3  
> Also having sex with that mind bond must be...something else.  
> Next couple is Cloud and Tifa!

**Disc 1- Heartbeat (Rinoa)**

His first kiss was hesitant, like always, like he was worried she would refuse at the very last moment. She never did.

Quite the contrary, Tidus and Yuna pulsed in tandem with another warm rush of desire and Rinoa yelped, tossing her arms around Squall’s neck. He allowed himself to be pulled down to her, the jacket around his shoulders draping around her body like a shield. One hand was on her waist, the other slid the familiar path from her stomach, over the hitching of her ribcage, to cup the entirety of her left breast in the palm of his hand. She arched her back into his touch, feeling his calloused thumb slide expertly over the tight fabric of her shirt. She viscerally hated her clothes in that moment and Squall smiled into her mouth.

“Don’t tear them.” He whispered, his thumb circling a little rougher. “You have nothing else to wear and--as much as _I’d_ like to see it--I don’t want them to see you...without clothes on.”

A quick pinprick of jealousy radiated from him and Rinoa shifted so that she was close to riding the muscle of his leg. “Envy suits you.”

“They’re all so...friendly. Especially Tidus.”

It was never past the point of camaraderie but surely for Squall who still needed to be pushed at times it was unbearable intimacy. It must have been frustrating to see their comrades of two weeks touch her easily when Squall still needed to build up the courage to touch. For Rinoa, it reminded her of…

“Just think of him like Angelo.” That did not seem to assuage Squall in the least and Rinoa pushed the dark hair from his eyes. “I _assure_ you, Yuna is the only thing on his mind.” She yelped again as Squall squeezed her lightly, his fingertips tracing the edge of her bra through her shirt. Though Rinoa always liked to tease Squall and watch his ears turn red, he paid her back when he knew she was frustrated. He could be wicked like that. Her kiss to his temple was open-mouthed and sloppy. “Squall, _help_ me.”

He melted, she felt him melt. 

Rinoa slid down the rock, pushed down by Squall’s weight so that she was pressed into the grass. Squall’s lean body was flush with hers and she tried to arch up to get even closer. She raked her hands down his shirt, wishing she could rip it with her fingernails. 

She didn’t know whether to curse Tidus and Yuna or thank them from the depths of her aching hips.

Squall pulled his gloves off with his teeth, throwing them to the side and Rinoa remembered how Squall often tore clothes in his haste to get them off. There was nothing quite like seeing him lose patience with buttons and just pull down the center, buttons ricocheting off the walls as the shirt hung limp around his shoulders. She only liked it a little bit more when he tore _her_ clothes.

Squall’s hands were pressed flat on her abdomen, clever fingers dipping under the hem of her shirt and causing her skin to prickle. Just like Squall, careful and deliberate, his hands mapped her torso carefully, feeling the subtle hitching of her breath as he inched closer and closer. Rinoa bit his tongue softly.

“Ow.”

“You’re growing soft, Commander. If that hurts you.” She couldn’t resist teasing him as she tried to pull him back to her again. Teasing Squall, calling him ‘Commander’ stoked his natural passion, she’d found, and his eyes narrowed slightly at her baiting. “I had hoped…” She lifted one hand to trace the line of his collarbone and shoulder, thinking of all the delicate bites she liked to leave there, like links in a chain. “But if it _hurts_ you…”

“Speaking of soft…” 

Seeing she was distracted, Squall took the opportunity to cup both breasts in his hands, massaging firm circles into the fabric of her simple cotton bra. She arched her back into his touch, his pinkie fingers tracing the bottom edges of the cups, teasing her with the promise of a direct touch. She responded by grinding her thigh between his legs. It seemed uncomfortable to wear leather pants to sleep...even more so now that he was going to have to try and unzip them. 

“Squall!” Her cry was a pale whisper of her normal desperation but it had the same effect.

She had become adept at unhooking the clasps of her bra through her clothes and sighed in relief as it went slack around her chest. Squall took advantage of the gap and slipped his hands up while laying teeth and tongue to Rinoa’s neck. Rinoa covered her mouth with one forearm, her other hand scrabbling at Squall’s shirt as he rubbed slow, methodical circles on her bare flesh.

Her black shirt rose a little higher, up her ribcage exposed to the cool night air and she felt ice magic rippling out of her to gods knew where. Another strange side effect of being a sorceress was that when she was feeling like this, sometimes the magic went a little haywire. All of Balamb Garden had realized she and Squall were doing something wild when the fountain in the main courtyard would freeze over or flowers would start blooming in mid-winter outside the school. Harmless, but wildly embarrassing. 

When she realized that Squall was simply ignoring her attempts to pull his clothes off, Rinoa pushed him back for a split second so that she could yank her top off, leaving her upper body bare. Squall’s eyes got a little hazy at that; he had always liked the pale, smooth expanse of her skin, the way it was luminous even in the dark. He followed suit out of habit and Rinoa got one tantalizing look at the hard, wiry planes of his chest and abdomen before he was on her again. 

Thought faded from their combined consciousness like steam through fingertips. 

Though he had mapped her hundreds of times in their shared room and on board the Ragnarok and in the dark stacks of the library and a few other places where they were not technically supposed to make love, Squall still took his time. He was methodical and refused to be rushed.

Squall’s mouth was warm on the thin skin of her breastbone. 

Any scrapes from the upcoming battle would pale in comparison to the red-violet marks he’d leave on her skin. His teeth traced the curve of her left breast and Rinoa jolted at the sharp edge of his canines grazing the sensitive skin. Squall wouldn’t bite her though; he was far too gentle. 

“Easy, easy, easy!” She whispered more to herself than to him as he simultaneously rolled his tongue around her nipple and pulled her shorts down at the same time. He was quick too, mouth staying suctioned on her even as she wriggled her underwear and shorts down to her ankles. The air was cold on her skin but Squall was warm on top of her.

 _I can stop if you like_. His thoughts were light but his teeth grazed her nipple and she was struck with a bolt of desire. She wanted exactly the opposite.

 _With all due respect, Commander_ , he stiffened at his title, mirroring her heat, _I’d_ like _for you to break my hip_. He wouldn’t do anything that extreme; with him as a SeeD and her as a sorceress, the thought of her in pain of any form was abhorrent to him. 

Squall was laughing--she loved how she could make him laugh--and leveled the tenderest of bites to her ribcage. _You’ll fight like that_?

Rinoa leveled him with a look. 

Her healing magic was unparalleled and besides, _Gotta put these wings to good use_. She’d fly for the rest of her time in this world if she had to. The wings flickered into existence, engulfing the two of them in soft white feathers. Squall grazed his knuckles against them as he kissed down her abdomen, completely ignoring her attempts to seduce him to roughness. 

_So stubborn..._

His tongue flicked against her navel and she felt the muscles of her inner thighs twitch in anticipation. 

Squall Leonhart, she knew by now, had a very short list of things that he liked.

He liked black leather, clean weaponry, peaceful surroundings, and her. He also liked licking her for what seemed like hours, until sometimes she felt like she had gone numb from the waist down. Squall was frustratingly good at it as well, something like pride flickering through their bond in flashes when she was conscious enough for rational thought. Rinoa had no complaints, the tips of her wings gently tracing the planes of his shoulders as he trailed further and further down. 

Squall Leonhart knelt for no one except her. 

His arms wrapped around her thighs in coils of steel and Rinoa threw her head back onto the grass, her toes curling. No matter if it was almost a nightly occurrence in Balamb, Squall’s mouth never got any easier to resist. 

Despite how she tried her best to keep her voice muffled behind clenched teeth and the skin of her forearm, Squall knew her body very well and he was clearly keeping in mind their upcoming battle, licking her to the point where she was a helpless, shaking mess before he had even removed his boxer shorts. His tongue dipped _in_ and Rinoa keened as she took a hard, trembling handful of his hair. Magic rippled off of her in waves and her heels dug into the sod of the earth.

Hyne, his mouth was like _worship_. 

Rinoa couldn’t help herself as Squall pressed his tongue flat against her and suckled softly. Her whining turned into a sharp little scream that cut through the silence of the forest, Rinoa’s shaking knees pressing hard against Squall’s flanks. 

At least he paused then, though he was slow to take his mouth away. 

He was glowing, his eyes like those embers of the dying campfire, and his lips and chin wet. No one else would see Squall Leonhart so intense unless he was driving his blade through their heart. His breath hit her skin in sharp gasps.

“Rinoa, angel, we have to be quiet.” 

She would cast Silence on herself, if only he’d continue. His kiss was wet on the inner curve of her thigh and Rinoa arched up helpfully as he dragged his tongue back down, tossing one of her legs over his shoulder. He was frustratingly good; apparently being a man of few words had saved all the power in his mouth and tongue to utterly unravel her. And he could feel it through their bond, feel the pleasure in warm, wet waves, his thumbs digging into her hips whenever he did something particularly clever. 

Rinoa’s hand curled in his dark hair and she felt a rush of warm delight from him. He liked when she held him.

“Squall…” His name came out in several stuttered syllables as he kept his open mouth flush against her, tongue flicking her. It hit her hard; the climax always seemed to take her by surprise and it was only made more intense by her need to muffle any noise.

Squall was unhelpful.

With a grip immovable as steel, he held her hips steady and let her ride it out against his tongue. Rinoa could scarcely breathe by the time he let her go, her knees jellied and toes trembling. Squall’s hands were slow then, sweet as he mapped her and trailed his lips back up to hers. Rinoa felt his smile against her lips, felt him pestering her over and over with something that had once been insecurity but was now cool confidence: _Good? Was it good? Did you like it?_

He knew, he just wanted her to say it. She wasn’t so easy. 

_Whatever_. 

It startled a rare laugh out of him and they held each other, half naked and mouths slick, shaking with silent laughter. As if he couldn’t feel...that she never tired of him, that Squall Leonhart was single handedly the best thing that had ever happened to her. Arms around his neck, Rinoa let her feelings flow into him unrestrained as she ground her hips into his. Even as hazy and content as she was, she wanted more, always more.

One of her hands slid down the tight muscles of his abdomen, her fingers sliding just barely under the waistband of his pants and she felt him inhale sharply. _Too much, Commander_?

Rinoa liked when Squall breathed hard, an outward sign that he was human, just like she was. 

Sweat beaded on his temple, traveling the length of his cheekbones and down his throat and Rinoa kissed the wet lines of it with an open mouth. Her hand left his waist so she could dig into the hair at his nape and she felt him scramble to undo the belts at his waist. It was going to be one of those wonderful, desperate times when Squall’s pants were only going to get to mid-thigh at most and Rinoa could yank hard on his belt loops to press their hips flush together.

No one else in Balamb knew that their Commander was so icy because all his heat was concentrated in his hips. 

She felt exquisite pleasure through their bond as Squall shimmied his trousers down and slid into her. His feeling was a pulse too powerful to ignore, like a groan he admitted wordlessly that he was all but helpless to her, to this. Rinoa helpfully thrust her hips up with no warning, grinding them closer and one of Squall’s arms shot around her waist, the other bracing hard against the rock shielding them from view. 

Tidus and Yuna’s feelings had drowned to silence as Rinoa became awash in what Squall felt, in what _she_ felt like. It was an endless feedback loop and she hooked her boots around his legs to keep him right where she wanted him. 

Having sex while being able to feel what Squall felt was unlike anything she’d ever experienced before. 

The pleasure was an endless ribbon; there was no question as to what felt good, nothing unspoken between them. Rinoa often teased Squall when he had to pause, breathless from when she did something clever.

Squall’s hands were all over her, down her back, in her hair, on her stomach and hips, holding her legs. Hyne, and all that physical training paying off. Rinoa had a feeling that she wasn’t going to last long, not when Squall was like this.

The illicit feeling of being naked so close to others, the need to be quiet, the impeding potential doom on the horizon was going to make for something hot and messy and _desperate_. 

_Rinoa, Rinoa, Rinoa_ , his mind was an endless stream of her even though his audible sounds were soft and rare. Gritted teeth only let past the softest gasps and groans; it really was something when she got him to cry out. Rinoa, on the other hand, dragged one of Squall’s palms over her mouth to keep her from screaming his name. 

He was immovable, Rinoa arching up against him and she scratched at his arms and his back, leaving marks of her own. It didn’t hurt him or...rather it _did_ but he quite liked it. He actually yelped softly as Rinoa’s fingernails found the muscle of his ass, digging in hard, his hips roughly flush with hers, in so deep that Rinoa’s vision went white. 

Magic poured from her unrestrained and her orgasm must have caught Squall unaware because she heard him groan, “ _Rinoa_ …” as his hands pushed at the small of her back. It was hot inside her, warmer than the starlight glow of her immeasurable magic and Rinoa almost wailed through each breath, her limbs beginning to fall slack.

It took Squall a little longer. He trembled at the feeling of finishing, silently amazed that anything in the world could feel so wonderful and Rinoa loved it. The powerful Commander shaking and about to fall slack into her arms.

She sent out waves of feelings, imploring him to relax. When he did, she could feel his muscles and mind uncoil, his tension like rapidly melting ice. Squall slid down against her, his head resting on the soft curve of her left breast.

What a sight they must have been: Squall shirtless with his pants at mid-thigh, exposing his bare ass and the crescent divots Rinoa’s fingernails had left there while Rinoa was almost bare save for her boots, her armbands, and her jewelry. A strong look for the both of them and she laughed at what their companion’s expressions would look like if they thought to come investigate. 

Rinoa couldn't have felt them if she tried. Her mind was laced so tightly with Squall’s, it was all she could feel, all she wanted to feel. 

These moments afterwards she treasured just as much as the acting of loving him.

His formidable mental walls were down and his thoughts were scarcely formed but warm and pleasant. Like ripples of gold or soft fur or the scent of home… Never was he so transparent and Rinoa smiled as she ran her hands soothingly down the length of his back, his muscles still twitching. 

_As good as the Ragnarok?_ She asked jokingly as she stroked the damp hair from his nape and forehead, her wings inundating him with soft waves of Regen and Aero magic. Once again her wings were meddling; Squall’s stamina was unparalleled and it wouldn’t do her any good to pass out entirely.

_Close…_

Her hands were light on his neck and forehead and she felt one of his hands stroking the ephemeral down at the base of her wings. _I don’t think we’ll ever get that high again_. 

Squall inclined his head, a sweet habit of his when he was thinking or confused. It was that little gesture that had convinced her to cross the Balamb Gardens ballroom and drag him into a future with her. He smiled again before kissing her breastbone. 

_It can’t stop us from trying though, Angel_ …

She smiled down at him, her wings cocooning them a little tighter as Rinoa rolled over, beloved Squall Leonhart settling down in her feathers as she straddled him. They wanted more, always more... 


	5. Tifa, Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me, writing this chapter: "WHAT IF, I not only made Tifa and Cloud each other's main source of comfort but also made them the most touch-starved, unwilling to admit their feelings, shy, PTSD-riddled couple in all of Edge?" 
> 
> Here's my headcanon for these fools in this situation: this is after Advent Children and something definitely happened under the Highwind but Cloud is so awkward, something got lost in communication along the way.  
> Also I like the idea that small things will trigger memories in Tifa and Cloud after all they've been put through. Things like wings and Rinoa's positivity; these 2 are haunted.
> 
> These days I love the idea of Cloud/Tifa/Aerith/Zack all sharing a house and being in love so...maybe expect that when I finish this. Enjoy the mutual pining!

**Disc 2-Breath (Tifa)**

When Tifa had first woken up in the world of the goddess Cosmos, she had seen a flash of gold hair from underneath her eyelashes and relaxed immediately. Too many times she had fallen to some injury and awoken to find the world in hell around her and Cloud standing guard beside her. She rose slowly, knowing that Cloud would not force her to move before she was fully recovered.

Another habit of his that made her feel like floating though she would never admit it to anyone. Hell, sometimes she wouldn’t even admit it to herself.

She had been fairly surprised to open her eyes and find a blade at her throat. 

The man in front of her did have blonde hair and blue eyes, but his hair was a deeper gold than Cloud’s, his eyes a much more natural shade of blue. Lean and tan with a sword that matched his eyes, he looked at her with the wariness of a man who’d been betrayed by strangers before. Tifa moved very carefully, not wanting to be run through with that hooked oceanic blade the very moment after she’d come to.

“You’re not one of those...those _things_ are you?” He asked. Tifa had seen enough men hardened by battle and had a feeling that this man would not hesitate to kill her if she threatened him and she raised her hands up in a gesture of peace. 

“What things?” There was grass tickling her back and she saw the piercing blue of the sky, so unlike the dusty gray sky of Edge. “We...we’re not in Edge, are we?”

“Edge? Are you...you’re not a manikin, right?”

Tifa shook her head. “I don’t know what that is. If you’ll let me up I can try to...get my bearings.” Too often in the bar she’d had to calm drunk and belligerent patrons and this man was neither. He was just cautious, maybe a little scared, and could be reasoned with and she saw his tension dissipate a little. “Please, if you’ll just let me up--I won’t hurt you.”

He looked at her for another long moment and was preparing to say something else when they both heard someone running toward them, ready to raise hell. Tifa was at a tactical disadvantage on the ground and nicked herself on the blade as she rolled inward to protect her chest and stomach. Something whistled overhead and there was a yelp before Tifa was pulled to her feet.

“ _Tifa_.”

 _Ah_. Relief had washed over her in cool waves though she shuddered a little at the expression in Cloud’s eyes. He was torn between concern and fury, his eyes taking her in. When he was this open with the emotions that were broiling just under the surface, she often wished he would just…

_...close the distance between them, like he had that night under the Highwind. The wind had been so cold on those scraggly cliffs when the world was about to end and she was alone in the world except for Cloud. When he had crossed that distance._

But he wouldn’t. 

“Cloud. You’re here too.” She could hear it in her voice, just knowing Cloud was in this world set her at ease immediately and he too breathed a little easier. 

His eyes flicked all over her, taking in the small cut just below her throat. “You’re hurt.”

“It’s just a scratch. Nothing to start a war over.”

She had noticed that his sword still glowed that blue-violet from him using a limit break and that there were smoking scars in the earth; he had evidently lost patience with the thought of a close-ranged attack and simply slashed from afar. She worried for him when he was like that.

Cloud narrowed his eyes as he looked over her shoulder and, in a quick motion, he moved her so they were back-to-back, protected. 

The other young man had recovered, looking less jumpy, even though Tifa and Cloud were likely a thousand times more dangerous than whatever else had been threatening him in the past. “You’re not manikins?”

“Those crystal things?” Cloud still sounded fit to kill. “Clearly not.”

Tifa was still confused but the stranger seemed appeased by Cloud’s answer, tucking his bubbling sword away at his side in a gesture of peace. “Uhh...right! Sorry about that.”

Cloud was less inclined to easy forgiveness, still obviously contemplating grievous bodily harm even after Tidus had introduced himself and healed Tifa with a cure spell he seemingly summoned out of thin air. 

Definitely not in Edge then. She was astonished that someone could use magic without materia. 

“You ok?” Cloud asked softly, the moment Tidus was distracted.

“I’m fine.” She assured him. She wanted to put a reassuring hand on his arm, but he was still quivering with latent violence and she could not bring herself to touch him. “Please. Don’t hurt him.”

Cloud looked at her and relaxed. Slightly.

He had always been prickly but...whatever those bastards at Shinra had done to him had given Cloud a sharp, frightening edge of violence that he hadn’t had before. Children and animals skirted around him until he had proved himself as non-threatening as possible and even after all they had been through, Tifa found herself scared of him, though it was less frequent. Without Tifa’s influence...he would likely have murdered several people in Midgar. 

She withdrew her hand.

Cloud was very still as he looked at her. “I...I won’t. I won’t hurt him.”

“Thank you.” She breathed.

Cloud slung his fusion sword over his back and narrowed his eyes. “I don’t want to travel with him though.”

Naturally Tidus followed them, likely drawn in by Cloud’s ability to look like he was confident in his destination while being just as lost as his companions. Tifa smiled as she saw Cloud’s tells: the slight quiver of his spiky hair when he looked around a little too often, the tapping of his fingers against the firm metal of his belt buckle, his stout refusal to entertain conversation. He had no idea where they were going but at least Tidus had enough conversational skills for three people.

When things were getting a little too quiet, Tifa only needed to ask him a single question to break the silence for a half an hour or more.

“You haven’t seen anyone else?” He asked, more to Cloud than to Tifa.

“Yes. And I avoided them.” 

“Are you looking for someone?” Tifa asked on seeing Tidus deflate. “Someone specific?”

“Yeah. Kind of like how you have Cloud, there’s a--she’s the most important thing in the world to me. If she’s here, I can’t rest until I’m with her again.” He was even more impassioned than usual and Tifa knew love when she heard it, much less saw it so openly in Tidus’ boyish face. “You know what I mean?” 

Cloud glanced back and Tifa felt her face heating to a boiling point and she shook her hands to chase the thoughts from any of their consciousnesses. “Cloud and I are--we’re friends from...from when we were kids.”

“Oh.” Tidus shrugged, clearly one to take people at their word. “Could have fooled me.”

“Shocking.” Cloud added unhelpfully.

“I hope we find her soon. If she’s here.” Tifa interjected, hoping that the conversation would move on before Tidus was able to parse out Cloud’s mocking tone or make any further guesses about how Tifa felt about...her friend from when she was a kid. 

The source of Tidus’ consternation and relief was discovered not long after their first day of traveling together when they saw three figures approaching them through the water. There was a high pitched whistle and Tifa jumped as Tidus sprinted past them. 

“So much for caution.” Cloud grumbled softly. 

Tidus was fast, the shallow water they were trudging through seemingly not slowing him, and one of the group approaching detached to run at him, arms open. He caught her--it was a woman,Tifa saw as they got closer, with a sweet, lovely face and colorful, flowing robes--and crushed her up tight against him, his face transformed for elation. Clearly she was special and did not step out of the brown circle of his arms as she glanced back at her companions.

They had come forward--well, more like the young woman with dark hair and snapping black eyes had dragged her partner forward, fingers threaded in between his. He was as lean and strong as Cloud, so he was allowing it, despite his expression of disinterest. 

Tifa watched them fondly, these strangers who understood that they were all isolated in this world together, fighting a battle that had chosen them against their will. 

She saw Rinoa’s wings for the first time then, shimmering around Squall like a soft shield, so unlike the winged angels Tifa had met before. The two were seemingly glued at the hip, Squall within arm’s reach of Rinoa when she bounced around for introductions, a fearsome gray asteroid orbiting its own tiny, glowing sun. Lady Yuna was also pulled into orbit, somehow managing to bow demurely while Rinoa held one of her hands and Tidus held the other. Apparently there was something--rather, someone--who could strike him speechless and it was Yuna. He was clearly under the impression that she had personally hung the stars in the sky. It was...sweet, really.

Unless a situation was dire, tragic, or there was an overt confession of love, people of Edge were not overly touchy as a general rule. It had gotten even worse before the mass curing of Geostigma where people began to outright fear touch. Though Tifa understood it was hard not to be hurt when…

_...Cloud drew back, a look of abject terror on his face for a split second when Tifa had reached for his hand across the bar, seeking the reassurance only he could give her. Everyone gone, their comrades returned home or on their own journey for peace, or dead and gone to the Lifestream, the loneliness was crushing. And now Cloud was pulling away again._

_Her expression must have been something else because Cloud looked away quickly, biting his lip as he gripped his arm. “I...I don’t want to infect you Tifa. Not you...I can’t…”_

_She tried to understand but...it still hurt._

Even now, Cloud stood a careful distance apart from her, apart from everyone.

He glanced over at her, clearly touched somewhere deep down by the heartfelt reunion in front of them; reunions between living, breathing souls were so rare, so precious in Edge. Not even Cloud could resist them, his lips pulled up ever so slightly at the corners. Tifa would have done all she could to have it stay there. “You ok?”

She couldn’t cross the distance. But she smiled. “Yeah. I’m...I’m ok.”

Tifa felt a little helpless when it came to Rinoa.

The woman was so at ease, so confident that she had been immediately able to bridge the distance and touch Cloud. Just small gestures: a push when he was being stubborn, a yank on his limbs when he was injured and needed healing, there was nothing flirtatious about it and Cloud had simply given in to Rinoa and let her do as she liked without complaint . This physicality was something that Aerith had found so easy to do as well and Tifa had been envious then.

It was so hard for Tifa to do the same. Whenever she hesitantly reached for Cloud and his wild blue eyes caught her movement, she hesitated.

He was so filled with power, so much like his crackling, mako-infused eyes, she often felt like she would be shocked if she touched his bare skin. So Tifa always withdrew.

She had always liked Cloud, liked his shy prickliness that made his moments of tenderness almost unbearable, liked the balanced, boyish look of his face that made nearly everyone in Edge pause for a second look. She liked the solid weight of him, his quick, quiet confidence, and the way he called her name, soothing her to the soul. His little smiles that flashed across his lips in brief shadows, so quick that they were almost impossible to catch.

Maybe it was because she liked a challenge that she’d always...always…

Tifa jumped slightly as someone took her hand, a flash of brown hair in her peripheral. “Hmmm? Lost in thought are we?” 

For a moment, Tifa forgot how to breathe. It was exactly something that Aerith would say, the smile clear in her tone. Even now Tifa could imagine the rhythmic way Aerith would step, braid swaying like she was dancing, her eyes delighted and full of life. Even the reassuring squeeze of the hand, the slight whimsical swing was the same, and Tifa wondered if the Lifestream was in this world as well.

It was always hard to gently remind herself that Aerith was…

Rinoa’s dark hair curved attractively around her face as she leaned into Tifa’s view. “You alright?” The brown hair belonged to Squall, and he ducked his head respectfully when Tifa noticed his presence. 

The feeling of Aerith by her side faded as quickly as it had come. 

She was able to smile as she felt ephemeral feathers brush against her cheek. “Your wings. Have you always had them?”

“No. Only about two years now.” Rinoa swung their arms in a wider arc, her steps seeming to float a little higher than a human’s should. “They’re not real feathers either. They’re...I guess they’re all the magic that I can’t keep inside.” The wings seemed to ruffle in agreement, somehow managing to brush against Squall every single time. “Why? Are there winged--do people have wings in your world?”

Tifa shuddered.

She thought of that one black wing stretching skyward, the feathers crumbling to polluted powder the moment someone tried to grab hold of them. There was nothing protective or tender about seeing Sephiroth’s lone, dark wing. Even now, knowing that he was no longer a threat, the thought of that menacing wing was enough to have Tifa break out in cold sweat. Their entire group really.

Barret had told her he could never see black feathers again without a jolt of anxiety. Large flying shadows had Cloud drawing his sword on instinct. The man, that monster, had ruined something so simple as wings.

“Only one, that I know of. But...it’s not something you want to see.”

Rinoa’s eyes were wide with understanding, her wings emanating soft heat to soothe Tifa’s fear. Squall nodded softly. “Like Ultimecia. Those dark wings.”

Tifa did not know who they spoke of, but she empathized completely with the look of horror that flashed across Rinoa’s normally delighted face. Surprisingly, it seemed that she and Squall were also haunted by some angel. It was a lucky thing that Tidus and Yuna were not faced with a similar foe.

The first time they encountered a manikin Ultimecia, the sight of the woman’s drooping, pitch black wings had Cloud, Tifa, Rinoa, and Squall in paroxysms of hyperventilating fear. Rinoa actually screamed, a shell of shimmering protection rising up around their entire group in a honeycomb lattice of gold. Tifa was vaguely aware that the woman stumbled backwards, nearly falling in her desperation to get as far away from the crystalline sorceress as possible. Squall and Tidus were running at the manikin, blades drawn, Squall clearly moving on years of instinct in spite of his fear. 

“You cannot hide behind that pitiful barrier.” The woman’s voice was crystalline, just like all other manikins. Tifa balked as those blue-black feathers shuddered when the woman pointed a clawed hand directly at where Rinoa was pressed against the back of her shell. “I’ll have your power in time.”

This Ultimecia was powerful, even in manikin form, her spell stopping both Tidus and Squall in mid-stride, their blades poised to crack her.

There was a strangled noise from behind Tifa as the manikin reached to touch the very edge of Squall’s jaw. “Come out and save him.”

“ _Don’t!_ ” Cloud warned.

It was a fool warning. The barrier shot out in spikes of gold as Rinoa was unable to leave Squall undefended. Whatever Rinoa had done completely destroyed the spell leaving Squall and Tidus immobile and the two followed their swings through empty air, Ultimecia having slipped past them to Tifa, the second line of defense. Clenching her fists, Tifa calmed herself in a steady stream of consciousness.

_She is not Sephiroth. She has black wings and silver hair. But she is not...she is not him. She won’t--_

It didn’t matter, in the end.

Lady Yuna was also in the second line of defense and was clearly just as incensed that the woman would launch an outright assault on Tidus. There was a dome of blue crystal in her hands, like a halved bit of materia, and Yuna pressed the smooth surface hard into the palm of her hand. The air shimmered with magic and Yuna’s colorful robes changed into glossy black armor, her staff becoming a blade like jagged black lightning.

More marvels.

Tifa had thought Yuna the most gentle of healers, but...it soon became clear that she had bite, when the situation called for it. Ultimecia was so focused on her goal that she did not see Yuna plunging the blade towards her back, towards those terrible wings.

The woman exploded in a shriek of crystal, the sheer force of Yuna’s stab causing her to fall forward, embedding the tip of the blade into the earth. Tifa exhaled, feeling as though her bones had been pulled out of her body. If just the manikin could do such a thing, Tifa dreaded meeting the actual incarnation of the woman. 

“What a shot. Yuna, you can’t be a summoner and be better than me with blades.” Tidus was the quickest to recover, his grin sunny. “Then you’ll have no use for me as a guardian.”

Yuna smiled back at him. Her armor fell away like black petals, back to her long skirt, the staff easily yanked from the divot in the earth. “I’m sure I can think of some other use for you. Are you alright?”

“Just a hell of a Slowga.” Squall offered, shaking out his limbs as he strode past the both of them. “We should be fine in a couple seconds.”

“Fingers are a little stiff.” Tidus wiggled them, wincing at the likely pins and needles after-effect. “You alright, Tifa?”

“All good here.” Her heart was calming down as she looked back to Cloud. 

His blade was still out, ready for attack, but his free hand was holding Rinoa’s forearm, steadying her. Though imperceptible to most, Tifa could see the concern in Cloud’s expression. “You ok?”

Her wings curved around him and Cloud dropped the sword to hold her back as well. Once again...it was so easy for Rinoa to touch him, to lean on him.

“Better now. I just...she creeps me out.” Rinoa tried to smile at Cloud but it was unconvincing. There was a glint of gold in her eyes. “And I don’t like it when she...when she touched Squall.” Fear and fury did not suit the woman; her power was too much for those strong emotions. “Thank the goddess of this world you have a SeeD Knight and a Lady Summoner to keep you safe, yeah? You ought to make Yuna the commander of Balamb.”

Squall smiled, in spite of himself as he finally reached Rinoa, one arm curling around her waist. “Remind me of that next time I have to make announcements or give speeches. It will be hers if she wants it.”

Tifa felt Cloud’s eyes on her before she saw them.

Those eyes, somewhere between blue and green, like lightning or opals or fire, like pure bubbling materia. They frightened her but she also loved them. They were Cloud’s eyes so...she loved them. The fear was still deep in his eyes, hidden to anyone who hadn’t known him for years. 

“Those wings,” she murmured as they continued walking, Cloud just behind her, “they’re not his.”

“No. They’re not.”

Tifa wanted so much. She wanted to hold his face in her hands and rest her weight against his chest. She longed to take his hand and rub soft circles in the leather of his glove, take the gloves off so that she could squeeze his bare hand. But she couldn’t cross that distance between them. 

She had not been able to take Cloud’s hand since he had drawn his hand back that night in Seventh Heaven. 


	6. Cloud, Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all!  
> It's been awhile but I finally finished Cloud's chapter. He is a little less of a mess than he was in FF7 but...not by much. His thoughts are short, disjointed, his memories can be unreliable, and he is 100% paranoid about Sephiroth. He is also trying his best.   
> I loved the Wall Market bit in FF7R and I also love the idea of him being super wary of dresspheres. Get that shit out of here haha! Also Squall and Paine would get along great. They'd bond over their love of cool metal necklaces, belts outside of the belt loops, and black leather.   
> Still not sure who is going to break first, Cloud or Tifa...  
> Enjoy!

**Disc 2-Breath (Cloud)**

Cloud was a mess; he knew he was still a mess even after all this time.

When they had seen the imitations of Sephiroth, that ragged wing stretching skyward, Cloud thought that his legs were going to crumble to the same crystalline powder of the destroyed manikins. He feared he’d be locked in a constant battle with the man, that monster, for an eternity and he felt sickness in heart and stomach and muscles as the copy of Sephiroth mocked him.

The imitation Sephiroth had staggered Yuna with a single slice, her cry cutting him to the quick as he leapt closer to defend and--

Sephiroth had caught him by the wrist so easily, its eyes and smile wry as it ground the bones of Cloud’s wrist. “Oh, Cloud. You’re terrible at protecting women, aren’t you? Terrible at keeping them alive.”

Like a bolt of static his mind supplied the memories to the poisonous implication. _ Tifa twisted on the canyon floor. Jessie crushed under rubble. Tifa bleeding at the bottom of the stairs. Aerith impaled on that razor point. Tifa bruised and unmoving in a bed of flowers _ . 

Terrible at protecting women. Sephiroth was not the type for lies.

He was falling, choking on memories.

The blast of wind around his shoulders had been filled with petals and knocked Sephiroth back with brutal force. Cloud could breathe when he was at that distance and saw Rinoa on his left with her eyes glowing gold. She was the most fearsome magic user he’d ever seen. 

She had vaulted over his head, grinning wide. “Take your breath away?”

“Hardly.” He felt the corner of his lip tug up.

Rinoa shrugged, unfazed by his unwillingness to play along, and with that simple motion came a Hastega so strong that Cloud swore he felt the mako pulsing in his bloodstream at light speed. It had hit everyone else too; Tidus was a golden-brown blur for the spell and his anger, vivisecting the Sephiroth manikin before the thing could even get to its feet. 

Cloud’s heart was still racing even after Yuna had gotten to her feet, assuring everyone that she was alright. His hands shook as he slid his fusion sword into the holster on his back and he clenched and unclenched his fist just to make absolutely sure that the ache of Geostigma had not returned. Cloud was an utter mess, his very existence governed by fear. 

His inability to react quickly to the manikin had eaten at him, even after they had set up camp for the night, Squall and Rinoa offering to collect wood for the blaze while Tidus and Tifa collected fresh water. Cloud was left with Yuna to manage their provisions.

So unlike many of the people Cloud had had to deal with in his life, Yuna was quiet and thoughtful. For once the silence was unbearable.

“Forgive me.” He murmured when he was fairly sure no one would hear him.

“Hm?” 

Cloud kept his eyes low. “Earlier. If I had reacted faster then...then you wouldn’t have been hurt.” 

“You have nothing to apologize for.” He could hear the smile in her voice but could not bear to look up and risk seeing that bright green of her right eye. “You did all you could. Which is more than enough.”

“But I--”

Her fingers were cool on the skin of his bare wrist and he jolted, unable to keep from looking over. Luckily her eyes were downcast, her other hand cupping Cloud’s palm. “You have nothing to apologize for, Cloud. It’s simply a hazard of this place.” Yuna’s hand moved to his cheek, patting him soothingly.

_ Zack had done the same. Biggs had too _ . Cloud couldn’t breathe for a moment. He was bad at protecting  _ everyone _ .

“I won’t let it happen again.” He choked out.

Clearly Yuna could tell he was nowhere close to forgiving himself and she kept one cool hand on his cheek, the other on his palm until Tidus and Tifa returned with flasks full of clean water. When he saw Tifa, he could relax, his guilt fading away through the cracks in his psyche.

Tifa was constant. Tifa was true North. She was the cornerstone. 

Maybe because they had been together for so long or because he cared about her more than anyone else, but his mind was clear and his heart beat easily. 

He would not let the words of a crystal imitation affect him so deeply. He had fought against the fates Shinra and Sephiroth had tried to force on him. Cloud would do better by Yuna and Rinoa.

He’d move heaven and earth for Tifa. Fuck the gods of this world, he was getting her home safe.

Tifa would never admit that she needed Cloud to carry her. She was tough. 

They had volunteered to take the second watch, the worst of the three shifts, but Tifa had not uttered a word of complaint. They sat back to back so they could better watch for enemies in all directions. It was rare that she touched him for longer than a moment and he was quietly pleased at the solid weight of her against his back. She was warm and wiry and  _ alive _ . 

He waited, tense, as she moved slightly. “So many stars.” 

She wasn’t wrong. “There are no cities, no lights to block them out.”

“Mmm.” There was the sound of her boots scuffing the dewy grass. “It reminds me of the nights in Nibelheim.” They had often been too poor to afford Shinra electricity past nightfall, only the manor and reactor glowed uninterrupted. “The last time we saw stars like this it was…” She trailed off and Cloud glanced behind him. “No. I--never mind.”

Cloud’s memory was still...terrible. Sometimes his memories were shot through with static or missing altogether. Sometimes he could remember with sickening clarity, the memories so painful that his head ached. The last time they had seen this many stars--

_ Ah _ .

That night under the Highwind had been much harsher. The wind had been enough to cut him to the core and there was a feeling like a blade poised at the back of his neck. Impending doom and alone in the world.

No. No, Tifa was there with him. 

Tifa had both arms around his neck. She was a small furnace up against his chest, her toes barely touching the rocky earth as he slid his hands up her waist, over her back, down her-- Why had they not--why had he never, not since that night…?

He could not lose Tifa. Cloud was too nervous.

Even her hand on the grass, a few inches from his, seemed an insurmountable distance. Had he ever held her hand before? He hated that he could not remember. He ignored the stars in favor of judging the distance between their smallest fingers. Cloud flexed his hand, splaying his fingers, and saw that only a few blades of grass kept him from hooking his pinkie finger through Tifa’s.

He hesitated. 

Tifa was scared of him. He had seen the look in her eyes when he lost himself in memories that were not always his or when he had tried to...tie up loose ends. He didn’t like that he...caused her fear. 

“Cloud? You ok?”

He jolted at the sound of her voice, pulling his hand back. There was a perfect indentation of his hand in the grass. “Yeah. I’m fine.”

He would have to try later, once he built up his nerve.

But there was no later. 

They were attacked by manikins halfway through their watch and the enemy numbers were such that their group honestly might have died if Cloud hadn’t charged up his Omnislash or if Rinoa hadn’t cast Thundaga and Hastega simultaneously. The six of them sprinted away until the sky was too light for stars.

Those dresspheres that Yuna carried were a curse. 

At first it had been fascinating to watch her clothes shimmer away into something entirely new, her staff curving into a variety of colorful weapons. The four non-Spirans of the group had thought it was an illusion only for summoners until Tidus volunteered to use one.

“Are you sure?” Yuna was laughing. “These are for the Gullwings. It might--”

Tidus, undeterred, pressed the smooth globe and let the illusion consume him. Rinoa and Yuna had to lean against each for laughing once the dressphere took hold. Tifa was also shaking and Squall covered his mouth with his hand. 

Even Cloud felt his mouth rebelling.

Tidus’ sword had turned into twin red blades with handles like the cogs of clockwork. But it was an afterthought.

Because Tidus was now in a women’s yellow swimsuit top and an olive green skirt, tiny braids peeking out from under the blue bandana that was wrapped around his head. Combined with the oversized boots and the long scarf, it looked like something a teenage girl would wear to the Costa Del Sol. Tidus spun, seemingly not embarrassed in the least, judging by his grin.

“Rikku will be so unhappy to hear how good I look in this.”

“It’s so good!” Rinoa wheezed, her hands on her knees. “Squall we  _ have  _ to try it.”

Squall looked like he would rather die so naturally he did exactly as Rinoa suggested. He looked relieved at the very least that he was not in a skirt but black leather pants, even though his entire, scarred midriff was bare. Then it was chaos for a solid fifteen minutes as Rinoa and Tidus and Yuna tried sphere after sphere.

Squall seemed more than happy to step aside and allow Tifa to take his place and Cloud was simply praying no one noticed he was also not involved. 

No such luck; Tifa found him, dressed in that outfit Yuna donned when she needed guns, her expression glowing from laughter.

_ Beautiful _ .

“Cloud, aren’t you going to--.” It was rare she was in such good humor and Cloud wavered.

“No.” He crossed his arms and hoped she could not see his ears burning.

“But...you looked so good in Wall--” It had been years, but Tifa still loved bringing it up when he wasn’t expecting it. Of course his fucked-up mind held onto  _ those _ memories like the most precious gold. And it was hard to be annoyed when Tifa’s smile was so wide and carefree.

“You looked better.” He said quickly before she could say ‘Wall Market’ aloud and risk Rinoa or Tidus overhearing. They were too curious and Cloud had difficulty refusing Rinoa.

Tifa’s eyes widened for a split second. Her cheeks were pink as she recovered. “Ah, but you were picked.”

“D-Did you  _ want  _ to be picked?” 

“No.” She smiled again, scuffing her boots against the dirt. “But I would pay good money to see you dressed up again.” She was teasing him, he could see it in her smile. He wavered again and bit his bottom lip.

“Keep your money. Buy something nice instead.” If anyone deserved something nice, it was Tifa.

“So thoughtful. But no fun at all.” Tifa smiled at him again and Cloud felt normal, human for all of a split second. Though it was a risk for them to keep fooling around with the spheres, Cloud didn’t interfere. 

He had not seen Tifa laugh so much in ages.

Cloud’s cheeks ached from holding back smiles.

Maybe it was the...the parts of  _ his friend, his best friend _ \--Cloud’s mind had a snippet of the man but it was still a little too painful to dwell on--that loved being around people but...Cloud found their two days of relaxation...fun? If their group lived in Edge then Cloud would not mind seeing them every now and again. Though they needed rest...he almost regretted that they could not stay longer by the fire, sharing stories that made Tifa smile and laugh.

Cloud watched the fire burn low to orange embers as he waited to feel tired enough to sleep. He did not need very much sleep--three to four hours at most--and it was hard for him to relax when he and Tifa were so exposed and when he was hyperaware. So used to the cacophony of Midgar and Edge, it seemed too quiet with only the soft rustle of leaves and Tifa’s breathing.

He was hovering between sleeping and wakefulness when he heard the general murmur of Tidus and Yuna, their voices so soft and far enough away that he could not make out individual words. He heard them laughing softly over something Tidus said, the both of them clearly delighted with one another. At first it was sweet. 

But then Cloud cursed Shinra for heightening his senses.

His hearing was so good that he thought the first gasp had come from Tifa, who was curled up asleep at his hip. But she had not moved and the gasps continued, punctuated by breathless little laughs. Cloud had too often heard similar things through the shitty, thin walls of whichever seedy dwelling he chose to spend the night in and was beyond being bothered. 

He couldn’t blame anyone except Shinra for giving him his fucking hearing--

Though the echoing sounds from Squall and Rinoa were a surprise. Maybe it was something in the air. More likely that two full nights of rest and enough space for a tiny bit of privacy had gotten to the heads of his companions. Well...not  _ just _ their heads.

Cloud could only hope that things would wrap up quickly. So long as nothing disturbed Tifa. She couldn’t hear the sounds and did not move 

But the magic was another issue entirely. 

So powerful, it could only have come from Rinoa.

The campfire blazed back up once or twice, hot and golden-white, while small violet flowers bloomed up in a carpet in tandem with Rinoa’s gasps. Flowers were rare in Edge, especially ones so small, with such a rich perfume and Cloud trailed his bare fingers over the smooth petals. He could ignore the sound for the blossoms, but ice was another story. It took his breath away when it hit him and Tifa curled up on herself in her sleep, her skin raising up to protect against the cold. He was debating what to do when Tifa made a small noise of discomfort in her sleep, like she often did when having dark, terrifying dreams; never screaming or thrashing, Tifa merely curled up tight and groaned softly against the pain Cloud couldn’t get at. It made his chest clench. 

His movements were so smooth that he could pick Tifa up without waking her and his arms trembled only slightly as he carried her silently into the dark circle of the forest. Small flickers of light fell from the leaves of the trees like fireflies, lighting the way enough so that he did not stumble over roots.

He did not wander far. 

The bright clearing was within view but Cloud was just far enough away that the little noises could be lost over rustling leaves or the crackling of the fire. The ice magic was also much less intense, though the air was chilly. Cloud slid a hand into one of his pockets, feeling for the telltale warmth of fire materia and let one sink into his palm. The fire magic built up under his skin, heating his body from within as it waited to be launched at an enemy; Cloud had no intention of doing so. Instead he let his arm drape over Tifa so the fire could warm her as well.

She unwound slowly, her limbs falling limp and head resting lightly against the right side of his chest. 

Cloud did not move except for breathing. 

While he was at ease with her sleeping directly at his side, within arm’s reach, he was relieved beyond measure to actually have her up against him. No one could hurt her like this; at any sign of attack, Cloud could execute a roll and shield her with his entire back. He would protect her.

The strength of his conviction seemed to mock him and he heard Sephiroth’s cruel words from the dark spaces in between the tree trunks. 

_ Terrible at protecting women _ .

Cloud knew it was his own mind playing tricks on him but he drew up his knees and held Tifa a little closer. His mako-enhanced eyes scanned the forest, scarcely blinking as he waited for a flash of silver or those two glowing spots of green. He waited for Sephiroth to come back to haunt him.

“C...Cloud.”

Cloud jolted, surprised to hear the soft call of his name coming from his chest and not from his surroundings. Tifa’s brow was furrowed, one eye barely open. 

“Cloud...are you alright? You’re...you’re hurting me.”

The effect was instantaneous. He loosened his grip, feeling the heat of the fire magic in his palm that was preparing to be hurled at an imaginary enemy. The guilt was sickening.  _ Terrible at protecting women _ . “T-Tifa. I’m sorry.”

She sat up slowly, used to being woken by Marlene or Denzel. “It’s ok. I’m...I’m alright.” Cloud scrambled for healing materia anyway. “Why are we...here?” 

“Rinoa was...there was ice magic and you were cold.” 

“Oh.” Cloud watched as her hand hovered for a moment above his chest before she placed it down. “Thank you.”

They sat in silence for a long while, Tifa knowing him so well that she did not even need to ask what had spooked him. They shared similar nightmares from separate beds. Tifa’s hand on his chest moved slightly, her thumbs rubbing small circles in time with his heartbeat.

It was... _ relief _ .

He glanced down at her again and she averted her eyes quickly. He hated his eyes, he hated that he scared her. “Tifa…”

“S-Sorry.” Her hand fell away as she tried to sit up. “I didn’t realize that I was--I’ll move so you can sleep.”

Cloud did not want that. 

He reached for her hand and placed it back on his chest. “No. No, it’s...fine.” Her skin broke out in bumps and Cloud pressed his fire-charged hand against her back to keep the chill out. “Please. You can stay like this.” Tifa looked up at him, surprise clear on her features, before she nodded, her head nearly resting in the hollow of his throat. 

Her voice would have been lost if Cloud’s hearing wasn’t so good. “When did you get so touchy?”

Normally Cloud would never admit it aloud. 

But they were alone, it was dark, and he was more at ease than he had been in ages. He trusted Tifa more than anyone else living. He could…be honest. “Gotta...hold on to me. To who I was.” He was not a remnant or a clone or an ex-SOLDIER, no trace of Za--of anyone else except for Cloud Strife when Tifa was so close. “I feel like myself when you’re...right here.”

Her breath hitched at the confession and he felt her tilt her head up to look at him. 

It took Cloud a moment to build up the courage to look down at her again. But this time she did not look away. 


	7. Tifa, Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no idea how I managed to get this finished; I have writer's block for my other fandom but this came easily. Maybe I felt bad for Tifa...or it could be that I want more VII content by any means necessary.  
> In any case, imagine this Cloud/Tifa as having the highest relationship rating in the original game, having gone to the Golden Saucer together and having the best scene under the Highwind. Also I desperately hope part 2 of the remake will have so much cute team bonding between that mismatched team. I want everyone bothering the introverts, (Vincent and Cloud) non-stop.  
> Enjoy these touch-starved fools ;)

**Disc 2-Breath (Tifa)**

Tifa had always liked to be surrounded by people. 

That was why she had liked Sector Seven so much, where she knew everyone and there was a feeling of camaraderie amongst the people, united in their poverty and desperation to claw out a better life for themselves. It was the same when they were trying to stop Sephiroth: those uncomfortable, wonderful nights when she and Aerith and Yuffie fell asleep against one another, back to back with Barret and Cloud, Nanaki at their feet and Vincent and Cait Sith keeping watch. Or when they would cook whatever monster they’d slain around a campfire and Cid would complain colorfully that he’d had better food out of powdered rations from Shinra. Aerith would say something so quick and funny that the man’s face would light up with laughter and the food would taste a little better.

She and Aerith had joined Yuffie and Cait Sith to steal rations from Shinra outposts, breathless with laughter as they ran away. Vincent could navigate by the stars alone and Yuffie had started a campaign to see who could make him smile first, Cloud seeming positively chipper in comparison to their red ghost. Barret liked to sing in his deep baritone and Aerith harmonized effortlessly, her long braid swaying as she danced a little while walking, Yuffie teaching them Wutai ballads and Nanaki howling when Barret tried to do a falsetto. 

Cloud had smiled a little more than usual, his guard relaxed by the presence of their team. And she was seeing it again now.

Squall was somehow fantastic at cooking wild game and vegetables, clearly the type of survivalist who could thrive no matter where fate threw him. Yuna’s calm and grace kept any of them from feeling helplessness over their situation, all of their group vying to be around her. Rinoa and Tidus exchanged stories so quickly and with such wit and humor that Tifa saw Cloud relaxing again, just like he had so long ago…

It was so easy to join in.

After dinner, talk of dancing became a discussion about performing in general.

Tidus tried to explain blitzball to them, everyone but Yuna clearly shocked at the lung capacity he must have had for such a sport, and Rinoa helpfully summoned a massive globe of water from the spring so that he could demonstrate. So sunny and sweet, he seemed a natural for holding people’s attention.

When Tidus gushed about Yuna dancing and singing in front of massive crowds of Spirans--”when she dances I can barely take my eyes off of her,” he had sighed in delighted memory as a blushing Yuna bumped her shoulder into his--Tifa remembered one of the only pleasant performances she had been a part of. When Yuna seemed too embarrassed to dance, in spite of Tidus’ sincere pleas, Tifa decided to help her out, turning to Cloud.

“Remember the Golden Saucer?”

Rinoa heard and latched on like a bloodhound; Tifa wondered if her sorceress powers extended to knowing preemptively when a story was potentially humorous or embarrassing. Her smile was elated. “What’s the Golden Saucer? It sounds like a nightclub.”

“He hardly seems like the type for nightclubs.” Squall said sensibly.

Cloud sighed in distress, though he was probably happy Tifa was bringing this up instead of their wild adventure in Wall Market. “The Golden Saucer is an entertainment park. Cloud and I had very brief starring roles on stage there.” She remembered the look of supreme dismay on Cloud’s face when the usher let them know about the honor of their participation and she started laughing. 

If not for Squall’s arm around her waist, Rinoa might have legitimately run through the flames in her eagerness to hear more. “Did you  _ really _ ?”

Tifa thought of the costumes and the childish plot, but what stuck out most was Cloud standing rigidly center stage, his eyes enormous as he gave his lines in a wooden, uncomfortable voice. She could barely get the words out for how hard she was laughing.

“Shinra’s finest technology set against a man in a dragon costume.” Cloud sighed, which only served to make Tifa laugh harder. 

Tifa was duly aware that Rinoa, empathetic as she was, was almost laughing just because Tifa was in good humor. “It seemed like a children’s play! You were so good at it as well.”

“Do you happen to remember any of your lines, Cloud?” Yuna asked, the picture of innocence with her eyes wide and hands folded in her lap. But she was clearly being a little wicked as well.

“Absolutely not.” Cloud could sense that most of their companions were dying for a re-enactment.

Tifa remembered how at least he had not hesitated when choosing what to do in the climax of the play. His lips pressing quick against the leather of her glove as he knelt before her. “But you were so charming.”

“What was the name of your character?” Rinoa asked, tilting her head. She was so sweet, so charming, Tifa knew Cloud would be weak to her straightforward approach. Even now he was trying to avoid her gaze and failing spectacularly. 

“A...Alfred.” 

It was Yuna--poised, polite Yuna--who could not bear the thought of Cloud as an ‘Alfred’ and she pressed her face into her knees to hide her laughter. Her shoulders shook and the tops of her ears were crimson, Tidus laughing more at her reaction than the name itself. 

When she raised her head, her cheeks were pink and her mismatched eyes could barely open. So sweet as she apologized, “I’m sorry! I’m sorry, forgive me! I’m not laughing at you, I swear.”

Cloud looked at her and the corners of his mouth turned up in a quick, precious smile. “It’s ok. It’s a ridiculous name.” It was just like those times when they were traveling with their friends, when Cloud could relax a little and smile. 

Tifa loved it when he smiled.

Maybe it was the relaxation or the good humor after dinner or maybe it was the goddess Cosmos’ way of repaying Tifa for all the hell she had gone through in the past two weeks, but she dreamt of the Highwind. 

It was a guilty pleasure of hers to even think of that night but when it came to her in dreams, it was a pleasant surprise. 

Cloud was removing his gloves and gauntlets, which surprised Tifa. He usually slept with his gauntlets and pauldrons and boots in case there was a surprise attack and there was something...slightly vulnerable and erotic about seeing the bare skin of his wrists and fingers. She wanted to hold his hand, run her thumbs along the breadth of his palm, have his fingertips rest on the thinnest skin of her collarbone. His fingers trembled slightly as he rested his hands, palms up, on her lap.

Tifa had rested her bare hands on his; Cloud inhaled as she threaded her fingers through his.

He was so careful; whatever Shinra had done to him had given him inhuman strength and he had seen the inadvertent bruises his grip had left behind with an unhappy expression. When his fingers laced over hers, the touch was almost too gentle to bear.

Tifa was shaking, her head dipping so she could rest it against Cloud’s. “We only have tonight.” Something was so terribly final about the words. “We have to make every moment count.”

It was...what Aerith would have wanted and Tifa missed her viscerally. She wondered if that sweet green-eyed girl was looking down at her now, smiling in that way that made Tifa think that Aerith had known all along that this would happen. The world was going to end but--

But Cloud pressed his mouth against hers and Tifa was at peace for the first time in…

_ Weeks, months, years _ ...

Holding hands like they had as children, Cloud kissed her and Tifa had leaned into him, his body warm and firm against the wind of the moors. The next day could very well be their last but...she couldn’t help but smile in elation. 

Cloud Strife. She was holding him, _ kissing  _ him, she  _ loved  _ him. 

Under the hull of the Highwind, Tifa sat lightly on Cloud’s lap with her arms around his neck and his hands light on her waist so that he would not hurt her, bruise her, or crack a bone with his SOLDIER’s strength. The world was going to explode the next day but her kisses were gentle and unhurried; she was afraid that if she rushed then she would burn up or Cloud would explode from the stimulus. He gasped as her fingers dug into his soft spikes and Tifa licked the curve of his upper lip. 

The world was ending, the meteor was coming, and Cloud Strife’s cool tongue slid into her mouth. 

She pulled off the cold steel of his pauldron and gloves, wanting to feel the warmth of his bare skin underneath the hard shell of his gear. Cloud was much slower, his hands almost clumsy as he pushed the straps of her suspenders down her shoulders until they fell slack at the waist.

His shirt rode up on a stomach like steel, cross-hatched with healed scars. She wanted to kiss the length of each one and feel the solid movement of his muscles when he moved against her. The leather of her skirt rode up higher on her thighs and she did not try to tug the hem down.  _ No use being embarrassed about the skirt; I doubt I’ll be wearing it much longer _ .

Even so...

When his fingertips slipped up under the hem of her shirt, up the skin of her back, Tifa felt as though she was going to catch fire. Her heart was going to explode, her blush must have been crimson as Cloud’s hand traced her shoulder blades, her spine, her flank, and slowly, slowly...

It felt like she was boiling under her skin, the heat almost unbearable.

God, she was  _ burning _ .

The heat woke her up as it remained pressed against her skin and she felt the firm press of Cloud’s palm on her back. She felt the rigidity of his body along with the fire magic and knew that he was frightened.

“Cloud...are you alright? You’re...you’re hurting me.”

She regretted the words as panic took hold in his expression and his grip relaxed. He had likely seen shadows sliding between the trees and she had already forgiven him for the rude awakening. Besides...he was  _ holding  _ her. 

He was so close, his eyes almost glowing in the dark and Tifa felt her heart skip beats. 

If he looked at her like that, then she--

“S-Sorry.” Her hand fell away as she tried to sit up. “I didn’t realize that I was--I’ll move so you can sleep.” She did not want to move away from him but she wanted him and did not think she could bear it if he pulled away again. 

He reached for her hand and placed it back on his chest, warm and firm and immovable. “No. No, it’s...fine.” She shuddered from the feeling of him being so close and Cloud pressed his fire-charged hand against her back, heat liquefying her. “Please. You can stay like this.” Tifa looked up at him in shock--was this the man who was so distant, who had pulled away from her touch?--before she nodded, her head nearly resting in the hollow of his throat. 

If she was not so gun shy she might have leaned forward to kiss the place where his jaw met his throat. 

“When did you get so touchy?”

“Gotta...hold on to me. To who I was. I feel like myself when you’re...right here.”

Tifa caught his gaze, rooted to the spot by it, and reached her hand up to rest against his cheek. “Well...then...hold me as long as you want.” The fire materia returned to a manageable temperature again as his arms draped back over her. “I feel the same. I like when you...hold me. It feels right.”

Cloud’s eyes widened, the bolt of blue and green in the irises luminous even in the dark. Like materia, like the Lifestream, so beautiful and powerful. She seemed to have forgotten to breathe, the air almost painful as she inhaled when Cloud looked away.

“Cloud? Are you alright?” She asked when he wouldn’t look back at her.

“My eyes,” Cloud said, keeping his gaze averted, “I know the mako is...unsettling. It’s unnatural.”

“It’s…”

“I know they frighten you. I don’t want to scare you.”

Maybe so. But they were Cloud’s eyes so she couldn’t help but love them. Feeling bold from his touch and the sheer and utter  _ hope _ it gave her, Tifa leaned in slowly. She gave Cloud plenty of time to pull back, pressing her lips softly against each of his eyelids. Just a simple act and she felt as though her heart was going to explode. One of her hands rested on the back of his head, stroking the soft blonde hair there.

Under the Highwind, she had run her hands through those pale spikes, brushing them from his temples as his hair became damp. Tifa had alternated kissing his nape and blowing cool air with her lips onto Cloud’s skin. 

When she pulled back, her lips tingled.

She wanted to kiss him again. 

“Cloud.” His mako eyes were wide and sweet as she lifted his arm up. His loose black sleeve slid back to his elbow revealing the perfect form of his arm, untouched by the black curdling of Geostigma. “I missed you.” 

“Tifa!” He yelped as she kissed the skin of his forearm, trying to draw it back though there was nothing left of that wasting disease. Even if there had been...she’d likely still have kissed it. Her lips traced the quivering curves of his arm, her tongue feeling the rabbit-quick line of his pulse as it rested for a moment against his wrist. 

Thank the gods he did not pull away in earnest. 

Very handsome and brave. Strong too. Not very charming. A bit shy too. 

But she could forgive his lack of charm because she loved him. 

“It’s over. Geostigma, Sephiroth, Shinra...it’s all over.” She kept her lips on the arm that he had pulled away, what seemed like ages ago. “You can rest. You can breathe. You can…”  _ Touch me, hold me, love me _ . “You can let me in again.”

“I can’t hurt you.” Cloud insisted, though he held her a little tighter. “I can’t hurt you. Anyone but you, Tifa.”

It was his way of love, she supposed, to protect the people around him. They had both lost...so much, so many people that she understood his fear. But her longing was overpowering and the darkness of the night emboldened her normally shy tongue; she could chastise him but...admitting this tender part of her was more terrifying than fighting him. “It hurts more when you...when you keep your distance.” 

“Tifa…” He was wavering on something, she could hear it in the unsteady tone of his voice. 

“That night...was it all in my head? Did I dream it?” He jolted as she placed his hand over her hammering heart, her hand going to his cheek. “Did it... _ mean  _ anything to you? Or…” She could not bear to think of the alternative. 

Cloud moved closer to her, their chests almost touching, his expression distraught in the faint light. “I--! No! It’s not that at all…” He was shaking like a leaf and Tifa waited; she’d always wait for him. “You saw me. My memories are a mess or...or they’re  _ painful _ . But...not then. Not that night. I’ll never regret it…” His hand relaxed against her and her breath caught as she remembered. “You  _ saw _ . I was... _ ruined _ .”

Tifa bit her bottom lip. 

She knew he had spiraled after everything. His friend, Zack, Avalanche, Aerith, Sephiroth, the Meteor, the Geostigma, each calamity cutting Cloud deep as those needles Shinra scientists had shoved into his skin when they made him a SOLDIER. He was caught in the darkness of his own thoughts and memories. 

But Tifa still loved him. “You’re not.” Her free hand went to his hair, stroking it and he closed his eyes in contentment. “You’re not ruined. I won’t push you. But you have to know that I...I…” That he was precious to her and all she had ever wanted, darkness and all.

There was an easier way of explaining how deep her feelings ran. She had been unable to say so in the time at the Golden Saucer but...now she trusted herself more. And she trusted Cloud.

She kissed his ear before she whispered the words, his hand pressing tighter against her so that he could feel her pulse through the leather of her shirt. Tifa remembered how his hand had felt on the same spot years ago, hot against her bare skin. 

She could feel the blush creep down her neck as she pulled back. She wondered if maybe it was Rinoa and Tidus’ boldness that had rubbed off on her.

“Tifa.” 

She reached a hand up to touch his lower lip. “If you don’t... _ want _ to--”

They had not always been the best at communicating, with Cloud often silent and stern and Tifa skirting around her true feelings. Touch made things easier.

Tifa jumped as Cloud moved his hand up her breastbone, both hands running up her throat and over her cheeks into her dark hair. She was silently thankful that she’d been able to bathe earlier in the day.

“I’m not...always alright, Tifa.”

“I know,” the words were thick in her mouth, thicker even than after shots of homemade liquor. “I’m not always alright either.” 

“But...I do. I do want you.”

Even after all she had said, he still looked nervous and unsure. “If you want me I’m yours.” She had been for years.

One hand was cooler on her cheek than the other, the fire materia making her flush even darker. Gone was the night under the Highwind when their kisses were soft and exploratory.They had gone years without a kiss, without going further and too long since even a prolonged touch and all of that repression had seemingly built up into a fever pitch. The fire materia might as well have been between her legs.

Tifa opened her mouth as Cloud crushed his lips against hers, tilting her head gently for a better angle as his tongue slipped into her mouth.

Tifa went almost limp. 

It was  _ so much _ to go so long without having him touch her and now he was cupping her, holding her, kissing her to breathlessness. Heat pooled in her hips and she tried to make up for lost time. 

“Cloud...Cloud…” She was already so full of him that his name spilled from her mouth whenever she tried to take a breath. Her name was reflected in his breath, “Tifa,” groaned helplessly as she kissed his jaw and throat. Her hands were on the cool metal of his buckles, the rough nap of his shirt, the soft spikes of his hair. She wanted to touch him enough for two years. 

The only pause in their desperation was for one moment, when Tifa wanted him to look at her again.

His lips were wet and half-open as she took him firmly by cheeks and surveyed his handsome face. Cloud’s eyes glowed with intensity, pulsing along with his heartbeat. She loved him. 

“Cloud.”

He smiled then. Not a slight upturn of the lips but a full delighted smile.


	8. Cloud, Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You all have been so patient waiting for this next chapter!  
> I also may have made a tactical error haha! I feel like when Cloud experiences intense emotions, he is a super unreliable narrator because of his memory issues but...he'll get better with time ;) Speaking of Shinra, I also wavered in between the experience of being experimented on made Cloud impotent or Hojo made sure his pet projects could breed to see what kind of offspring came out. Guess you'll find out which one I picked!  
> Also I ended up really liking these two's smut. They're both so shy and yet so pent up that this probably went pretty quick.  
> I like to think that Cloud actually remembers...and they buy a new bed ;)  
> Enjoy! Next 4 chapters will be the most relaxing: Tidus and Yuna!

**Disc 2-Breath (Cloud)**

There were twisted dark things in Cloud’s mind that he could not often ignore unless something was very intense.

Tifa’s kisses were not intense.

They were soft and gentle and yet...somehow Cloud could not focus on anything else. One hand carded through the soft spikes on the back of his head while the other gripped the straps across his chest as if to keep him in place. Cloud wasn’t going anywhere. The darkness was pushed to the side in favor of...of...

It took him time to remove his gloves with shaking hands and to place them on the strip of bare skin between her shirt and her leather shorts.

Cloud felt as though he was hyperventilating as his hands trailed up her torso, Tifa’s gaze hot on them. “I-Is it ok? Is it ok--can I--?”

“It’s ok.” Tifa kissed his mouth “You can. Please, Cloud...”

Under the Highwind, Cloud had slid his hands up the layers of Tifa’s small top, his hands shaking as he felt her skin rise up from the cold. His fingertips were still a little shaky as he gripped the delicate zipper of her black leather shirt and tugged it down. The silver teeth revealed her white athletic undershirt, which Cloud helped her out of once she shrugged off the jacket.

“Got enough layers, Tifa?” He joked quietly seeing the supportive undergarment she wore beneath the undershirt. Joking aside, his mako eyes were laser-focused on the sight of her nearly-bare torso, remembering what he had seen before in the darkness under the Highwind.

_Her skin was cold but it had warmed under his hands. He could not even cup all of her in his hands. In Sector 7, in Wall Market, everywhere they had gone, people took notice of her shape. Tifa seemed too beautiful to touch but...Cloud was touching her. At least she seemed to like it…_

_And he liked it. He liked it. He liked it_ so _much._

“You know I need it.” She returned, her smile a little self-conscious. 

Before Geostigma, he had sometimes massaged his thumbs into the muscles of her back to ease the tension she accumulated merely from standing up straight. Instinctively, his hands went to the steel of her back and kneaded the muscles there. She melted into the touch. “Yeah...I know.”

Her fingernails raked softly down the bare skin of his neck. “Don’t...tease me, Cloud. I’ve waited too long for this.”

“Sorry, I’ll--” His breath caught in his throat as his hands reached the elastic band that wrapped around her ribcage. His heartbeat was in his tongue as his fingernails slid under the edge of the band and Tifa raised her arms helpfully. It was so difficult for him to do something so simple, to cross that line, but the garment slid up so easily. As Tifa’s arms lowered, she dragged her hands down Cloud’s face and neck and chest, her blush clear on her cheeks even in the dark. 

Cloud got his fill of her face before he looked down at the rest of her. Scarred from battle and muscular from martial arts training, Tifa was somehow...still soft. 

“You are... _beautiful_ .” The words almost melted in his mouth before he could form them. “And I-I’m so...” _fucked up_ , “I can’t believe you still _want_ me.”

“I do.” Tifa murmured, pressing kisses onto his palms before she lowered them back to her bare skin. “Look at me all you want.”

He felt the strong cords of her muscles, the impossibly soft skin of her chest, so caught up in just the feeling that he did not notice her hands on his buckles and zippers until his shirt gaped low almost to his navel. “It’s--we’re _outside_. A-Are you fine with--?”

She caught his face in her hands and smiled. “Never thought I’d say this but...Cloud, you talk too much.”

He nodded, his hand gripping gently to keep him focused. “Right. Ok.”

As she traced the muscles of his abdomen and arms, Cloud rested his lips against the fine skin of her chest, if only to feel her heartbeat. He loved proof that she was here and alive with him. She shivered as his lips followed the swell of her bare chest, all the way under the curve of one breast. When he retraced back up, his tongue peeped out and Tifa yelped. 

Her hands left his chest in favor of gripping the back of his head. Cloud’s face was pressed against her chest and he could feel his breath heating her skin. They were feverish.

Her hands swiped over his nipples, causing them to rise alongside his...his... 

And it was only made worse when she massaged the muscle of his legs, her hips grinding against his. 

His saliva slipped between the cleft of her chest as she wriggled out of her leather shorts, tossing them to the side, and leaving her toned legs bare, save for a battered pair of cotton underwear. _Typical sensible Tifa_ , he smiled in between suckling spots on her chest; she’d keep underwear until they were little more than threads on her hips. A leftover habit from their lean days in Nibelheim. 

While his mouth stayed at her breast, his hands followed the curve of her ribcage and out into the flare of her hips. His touch was light when it reached her legs. Though he had seen the wounds those legs could inflict, they felt so delicate in his hands. 

Carefully, Cloud rubbed the soft dip at the tops of Tifa’s inner thighs. Her breath hitched as his thumbs brushed the fabric of her underwear.

A bead of sweat dripped off his top lip. “It’s ok? I can--are you sure?”

Tifa’s breath came out like she had swallowed scalding water. Her hand went to the center of his pants and Cloud jolted, snapping his mouth to keep from moaning as she felt how much _he_ was sure. “ _Cloud. Please_.”

He was a quick study at the very least.

Only his free hand, steadying at her lower back kept Tifa from launching into the air as Cloud rubbed the soft cloth between her legs. Her hand clapped over her mouth and Cloud knew his eyes must have been enormous with shock. He would never claim to be an expert but, “That good?”

“It’s...been awhile.” Tifa admitted through her fingers.

Cloud felt like the fire materia had migrated to his head but he nodded in understanding. “It’s...the same for me.” Neither one of them were going to last very long. “H-Hold on...I guess.”

Tifa eased back down onto Cloud’s palm, her arms wrapping around his neck as Cloud moved his fingers. This time she did not muffle herself. Her gasp was subdued, softer than the noises of pain and exertion he was used to hearing from her. The noise...did something to him. He wanted to hear it again, right next to his ears, and louder. He could be slow, methodical when he needed to be. 

Two fingers pressed softly, running the length between her legs and her teeth sank into her bottom lip to keep from making noise.

He ran his tongue up the tightened flesh of Tifa’s left nipple as he stroked between her legs. He was nervous as hell but he could feel her racing heartbeat through the skin of her chest so it seemed he was in like company with his anxiety. Her hands were in his shirt, gripping and scratching lightly when he alternated his touch, and he was growing aroused just by her nails digging into his skin. 

Cloud waited until his fingers were wetted through the fabric before he lightly tugged them to the side with his pinkie finger.

Under the Highwind was the first time he had ever seen...touched...tasted…

He grazed his knuckles lightly against her bare skin and Cloud realized how sincerely he had underestimated Tifa’s need for this. She moved her hips down to meet his hand and sighed like it was the sweetest thing on earth.

“It’s...annoying how much... _better_ you are at this.”

Thinking of how often he had thought-- _dreamt_ \--of the sweet things she’d done to him under the Highwind, Cloud flipped his hand so his fingers were pressed firmly against her. Tifa yelped again and--perhaps thinking of their comrades--buried her face into the spot just below his ear so that she could muffle her moans into his throat. 

He could have touched her for hours, tracing her in the dark, as she gasped some helpless variation of his name. When he found the spot that made her hips jerk, he kept his thumb circling softly there as two of his fingers slipped inside of her. Tifa responded by biting him.

“It’s good?” Cloud asked, rubbing a little harder. “Feels good Tifa?”

Words were clearly beyond her as she simply nodded, her teeth still lightly clenched against his skin. Cloud knew he was usually such a...a disappointment so he was inordinately pleased that he was doing something right for once. His thumb pressed a little deeper, rubbed a little quicker and a high pitched whine rippled out of Tifa. Cloud breathed a little heavier at the sounds she made, his own arousal scarcely flagging for not being touched. 

Having her so close was enough. 

As he crooked his fingers inside of her, Tifa sat up, eyes wide and desperate. “ _Cloud_! Any more and I’ll--mph!” 

He kissed her, open-mouthed, as something wet trickled down his wrist. He wanted Tifa to feel good, wanted it more than air, and now that he knew she was close he would not stop for anything short of a grave emergency. Tifa jolted on his slick fingers but Cloud kept moving them until her fist softly beat on his bare chest. 

He withdrew his mouth and fingers at the same time. 

“Cloud, you haven’t even--” her eyes flicked down, always concerned about helping others before herself.

“I thought I’d do it to make it up to you. For waiting so patiently.” 

The smile he gave her must have been something else, because Tifa gripped handfuls of his spikes and kissed him hard. Her fingertips trailed along his jawline, feather light. “It’s not enough, Cloud. You were...patient too.”

Cloud nodded, immediately flushing at Tifa’s smile.

With the ease and flexibility of her martial arts training, Tifa swung her legs up so that she could peel off her underwear, Cloud pulling his trousers down only far enough to free himself. Tifa shoved the cotton fabric in Cloud’s pocket and laughed nervously, “Like I said, there’s a reason we keep you around. You have the most pockets.”

His smile was interrupted by Tifa gripping the base of him, the feeling of it so much sweeter than his own touch.

Cloud’s head rested heavy on the hollow of Tifa’s throat, his lips parted as he dragged them down her skin. It was a thousand times better than his memories of that night under the Highwind, it drowned out and burned to ash any thoughts he’d had alone on Fenrir when he wondered how they had drifted so far apart. The thing they were hurtling towards suddenly came to a head as Tifa shifted on his lap and he could feel her intent before she fixed him with that red-brown gaze of hers.

 _It was like fire_. There was no escaping her and Cloud surrendered without a fight for the first time in ages. 

She lowered herself onto him and Cloud had to grip his own wrists around Tifa’s back to keep from gripping her to breaking. He wanted to scream; it was near impossible to find things that felt heavenly in the hell that was Cloud’s life, so he felt the good things acutely. 

“ _Gods_ \--!” Cloud did not believe in gods, but Tifa could pull belief out of him.

_“It will be ok?” She had asked him under the Highwind before tearing at the waistband of his trousers. There had been so many things that had not worked after Shinra and that bastard, Hojo, had gotten their needles and knives and bubbling mako into him._

_Cloud had nodded and thanked the gods then._

_Thanked them that Shinra had left him with the ability to love this way._

_Not to love. To_ breed _and see what came out._

_The thought was insidious._

_It made him hate what he was, what they had made him_.

“H-Hey,” he jolted at Tifa’s touch on his cheeks, her eyelids fluttering, “you ok? T-That good, huh?”

Cloud nodded to clear the terrible thoughts from his head. “Better than... _anything_.”

Tifa smiled, the sweetest thing. “Yeah. Yeah, it is…it’s so good, Cloud.”

All thoughts were gone again as she kissed him, her hips moving slow against his. Cloud felt it all: the little jolts as he brushed the sensitive spots she’d already touched, the clench of the muscles inside her, the way her inhaling breaths suckled at his tongue. It took him a moment to...get control of himself but once he had--

One hand cupped the back of her head, while the other went to the soft curve of her backside, pushing her down as he arched up and Tifa gasped into his open mouth. 

His mind flickered in between thrusts as the pleasure conflicted with his shitty memory. 

Tifa moved his mouth from her lips to her breast and Cloud lost all finesse, his tongue lapping at random...he felt nails clawing at his shirt and fingers yanking his hair...at one point one of his hands stroked the spot she liked between her legs and he saw her legs spasming against the grass.

Cloud began to lose what was a memory from the Highwind and what was current. All he knew was Tifa, anchoring him to the earth.

He called her name to make sure, to keep her close.

“Tifa, Tifa, _Tifa…_ ”

“ _Cloud_.” He felt no fear of being lost in his memory. He heard her moan his name. 

Tifa kissed him again, desire pulsing off of her like heat, and Cloud dug his hand into her dark hair to pull her closer. He tried to drink the heat down from Tifa’s mouth, his hips moving helplessly against the matching heat coming from inside her. Two years without this and Cloud was desperate to get his fill. No matter what she wanted, he would give it to her if only she kept kissing, kept moving on top of him. He was helpless to her. 

The rare feeling of tension was building up inside of him, similar to the powerful flow of mako or...how he felt a star might feel moments before it imploded and shattered out into space. Cloud dug the heel of his boots into the earth in an attempt to be easy and gentle when all he wanted--

The memory hit him hard.

_Tifa, underneath him in the open air under the Highwind, the rubber tread of her boots digging into his hips. At that time he had bitten his own arm to keep his mind, his tainted blood dripping into the rocky soil._

_“Cloud! Cloud!” Her voice might have been lost in the wind if he hadn’t been so close. “I can take it! Don’t hold back. This is the last--” she couldn’t finish; the thought was too terrible to share during such a wonderful feeling, “do it harder, faster, whatever you want. I can take it.” Tifa’s arms were strong around his neck, her chest soft and slick as it crushed against his. “I_ want _it.”_

She begged him again. “Cloud! I want it! _Please_!”

Even so, he only used half of his strength, for fear of breaking her bones.

His back pressed against the bark of the tree, his toes digging into the sod, keeping the both of them aloft as his hips tried to melt into hers. Tifa gripped the straps across his chest and rode him hard in turn, the passion building for all that they tried not to make any noise. 

“ _Cloud_ !” Her voice cut through the still night as she came and Cloud shuddered as the muscles inside of her clenched him hard. She slumped against him, shuddering and Cloud crushed his arms around her, tight enough to bruise as he gasped, his muscles quivering _in vibrato_.

The feeling was as quick and powerful as mako, without the taint of Shinra science. He saw stars, bolts like the lifestream and the air was knocked out of him as his legs gave out and he fell to the ground.

His hips thrust up helplessly--once, twice--before he was spent and the glow of warmth and bonelessness spread through his limbs. 

Cloud did his best to hold Tifa as they caught their breath. His hands rubbed circles on her back and shifted her hair up so the night air could cool her neck. As she pressed up tight against him, Cloud wound both arms around her back. He needed to make up two years of lost time in a single night.

“When we get back to Edge,” she whispered against him and he shifted so he could better hear her, “I hope...that we keep our memories. I don’t think I could bear it…” That would be so in keeping with whatever force was constantly meddling to keep their lives in turmoil: to erase the memories of the night when they had just resolved their standing with each other.

One step forward, seven steps backwards.

“Tifa.”

She looked up at him. Beautiful, powerful Tifa. The one he dreamt of in the drowning hell of mako, in the endless pit of the lifestream, Tifa holding him steady in the madness. He loved her. He’d always loved her. He--

“Even if we do...you have to know that I...I…”

“Cloud.”

“I’ve lost my mind and my memories before.” Shinra had torn him apart and put him back together. “Even when, Sephi--” Tifa reached up, her thumbs rubbing against his bottom lip to silence that name, “Even when I was _gone_ , you were there. It might take me...awhile but...it’s always been you, Tifa.”

She took a moment, letting the words sink in, before pressing against him again. “I’ll take it.” 

Cloud rested his cheek on the top of her head. “Even if we don’t remember...I’ll try not to wait so long.” She laughed against his collarbone and the feeling of it made Cloud’s hips tingle. “What?”

“I don’t know if I’ll have as much patience as you. I’d like to m-make lo--to do it indoors for once.”

“We do tend to...lose control outside.” Cloud agreed. “Though...there’s less of a chance of Marlene and Denzel overhearing. W-we might need to invest in a bed that doesn’t creak.”

“My bed doesn’t creak as much as yours. You’re more than welcome to--I’ve thought often of offering when you,” her ears were crimson against her hair and the words came out in a quick rush from embarrassment, “ when you come back from a job all freckled, with dust in your hair, and you just strip off your clothes in the hall.” Cloud had not wanted to track dust through their shared home and had always tried to make sure that no one was watching. Clearly he was not as perceptive as she had been. 

“That’s what you like?” Cloud teased her lightly even though he was also a little flustered, “I didn’t know you were watching.”

“It was only once.” She insisted. “M-Maybe twice.”

The thought pleased him. “Next time you can help me out with it, yeah?” He liked thinking about it: about Tifa leaving her customers to follow him to the upstairs hall of their home so that she could strip the filthy clothes off of him. They’d stumble into the closest bedroom or the bathroom and-- “ _Oh_! Sorry…” 

Tifa seemed not at all bothered by his...quick recovery and shifted her hips side to side. “No, no, it’s... _great_. Do you think the others will mind?”

Cloud listened carefully for the first time since he’d taken Tifa from the campfire. He couldn’t help but shake his head in exasperation. “If we don’t, we’ll be the exception to the rule.”

Tifa took a moment to decipher his meaning and then started to laugh helplessly. Cloud tried to smile back in between his eyes rolling back into his head at the feeling of her muscles clenching around him. “Well,” she tossed her dark hair back and it made Cloud want to grip handfuls of it like chocobo reins while he...he… “If this is a team effort, then I suppose we shouldn’t be the weak link.”

Cloud did not take more than a half second to decide.

His lips crushed back against hers and she pulled him to the ground. It was good practice.

The next time he would miss nothing.


	9. Tidus, Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back!  
> FFX is the first Final Fantasy I ever personally played/owned (though 8 was my first introduction to the series) so it has a special place in my heart.   
> After dealing with Shy Guy Squall and the mess of PTSD that's Cloud, the only drama for Tidus is how freaking horny he is. Boy is an athlete and filled with energy; you cannot tell me that his libido isn't through the roof ;)  
> Also, I've mentioned before, I am rarely critical of Square Enix's stuff. However, I do have a bone to pick with whatever they're doing with those FFX audio episodes. I disagree and my headcanon is that Sin is never a problem again, Tidus and Yuna get married, and their kids become Spiran renowned Blitzball players. It also feeds into my idea that Tidus is the type of dude who cannot believe he scored such an amazing woman and is always bragging about and announcing how super in love with his wife he is. I want to be in charge of FFX please haha!  
> Enjoy!

**Disc 3-Touch (Tidus)**

Tidus had been married to Yuna for six months.

He would have married her sooner, married her the very day he rose from the ocean to find himself back in Besaid and her running towards him in the surf, arms spread wide. Walking back to the village with Yuna pressed close to his side, he would have gone to any person with that power and married Yuna where they stood, still dripping with salt water and sand, breathless from all the bubbling emotion inside of their chests. 

But things could never be so simple in Spira, where there seemed to be rules and protocol for every major event in society. When Tidus had asked Yuna who he should talk to, she blushed as she explained.

“Summoners have to be granted special dispensation to marry by the maesters. O-Of course you’d understand why.” Tidus nodded, thinking of how dangerous it was in the eyes of Spira for a summoner to fall in love. “Though...with the former maesters...gone and Sin defeated, it seems to be an unprecedented situation. If you...if you’re willing to wait for me then...then I’ll scour Spira to find someone who will give us permission.” 

Tidus had frowned slightly; he didn’t need anyone’s permission to love her.

But Yuna was still part of Spira’s culture and he was willing to respect it, for her. He held her cheeks in his hands. “You’ve waited so long for me to come back. I’ll wait for you no matter what.” He grinned, bumping his knuckles under her chin. “Be prepared. The day we get permission, I’ll give you enough time to change clothes and then it’s happening.”

She smiled up at him, so delighted that Tidus cursed Spira again for not letting him marry Yuna at that exact second.

Despite their unmarried status, it did not stop Yuna from inviting him to stay in her humble hut in Besaid, using the excuse that he needed somewhere to stay before a place could be built for him. It did not stop Tidus from stripping down to the shorts he wore under his leather overalls, leaving him almost bare before her, so she could run her hands over the firm planes of his body, making sure he was real and tangible.

Her voice was almost lost in the dark as she trailed her fingers down his neck, over his chest and torso. “You’re  _ real _ , you’re really here. With me…”

Tidus responded to her touch, his skin shuddering and breath coming short. “I’m here. I’m here, Yuna.” 

He was physical by nature, only able to stand idle for so long, and his hands effortlessly drifted to her bare skin. Her body was so pale and fine that it almost glowed in the low light, her new clothes baring so much more than her summoning dress had before. He wasn’t complaining.

Up her arms and shoulders, cupping her lovely face, mapping the curve of her waist, and--daringly--sliding down the length of her legs when they were seated, Tidus had not touched her so much since their night in the Macalania Woods. He wanted to do it every night for the rest of his life. 

Breath came short and, though their faces were pressed close as they held each other, neither Yuna or Tidus had dared to kiss one another until they awoke in the morning, calm and blushing. If they had kissed in the cover of night, one or both of them would have snapped; Tidus would have, anyway. 

It was agony, the six month wait for Yuna to send out endless letters and inquiries all while he held her every night, pushing the very boundaries of decorum. Yu Yevon was dead and the worship had to have an outlet. Nearly naked, slick under the tropical heat of Besaid nights, the gods faded to insignificance in the face of Yuna’s bare torso, her whispering his name as she once chanted to the fayth. It was absolute fucking agony.

Tidus remembered so vividly the day she had heard back from someone with decent advice--he didn’t particularly care who it was. He had been out on the beach, teaching blitzball moves to a group of Besaid children while his skin browned under the direct sun. All of his gauntlets had been removed, along with his yellow jacket, leaving his chest bare...like Jecht’s had always been. Though he had launched the ball in the air with the intent of blasting it with a kick, it fell forgotten to the sand as he heard Yuna call.

“Tidus! Tidus!”

She was running down the path to the beach, already in the nicest clothes she owned, a letter in one hand. Her elation was so clear, Tidus did not even have to ask if anything was the matter.

He left his gauntlets and his jacket and the ball in favor of running up the jetty to meet her halfway. He didn’t care that he was half dressed. If anyone in Besaid had wanted him to get married while fully dressed, they could have sent him word in advance. Luckily Yuna had anticipated his impatience and had brought down a fine outer jacket in the same red-orange that reminded Tidus of Jecht...of Auron…

He had shrugged it on as they ran, his free hand pulling Yuna along. “Who do we go to?” 

It took them half an hour at most--Yuna being more help, as usual--to find the oldest person in the village as well as Lulu who would serve as their officiant and their witness. Tidus, barefoot, sandy, and impatient, gave Lulu just enough time to order Wakka out of their home to witness Yuna’s marriage before he begged them to start the ceremony.

Quite unlike Yuna’s first marriage, their wedding was a modest affair, with most of the citizens of Besaid joining to watch, misty-eyed. No pomp, no legions of guards, none of the bells of Bevelle or frothy clothes. Just Tidus vibrating in place and Yuna smiling so brightly that her tears could scarcely fall. The vows were like strains of music, the chant of the Fayth, but Tidus heard only the most important points.

_ Protect her. Cherish her. Stay by her side. Love her _ . Yes, yes, yes, yes.

There was no hesitation. Tidus had found nothing on earth easier than loving Yuna.

This wedding was far superior to her first wedding as well, because she was wildly enthusiastic about kissing him, her cool arms going around his neck the moment they were given the go-ahead. Tidus felt like he glowed like the sun.

His wife. He had a  _ wife _ .  _ Yuna _ was his  _ wife _ .

“Tidus.” Yuna’s voice was so quietly happy that it was nearly lost over the cheers and polite clapping of their small audience. 

He was breathless, grinning down at her. “If...you’re Lady Yuna...does that make me Lord Tidus now?” She laughed, hugging him tighter, as Lulu shook her head in utter disbelief.

“It has a nice ring to it, yah?” Wakka clapped him on the shoulder. “Lord Tidus. We should prepare a wedding feast for the village.”

Tidus had glanced up at the sun to see that it was close enough to late afternoon for his liking. Yuna gave a little gasp of surprise as Tidus leaned down to sweep her up under the knees. “No need. You all can eat if you want but,” it was a good thing that he was completely and utterly shameless, “I’m exhausted already. My  _ wife _ and I are going to bed.”

Wakka was suddenly at a loss for words and Lulu pinched the bridge of her nose; Yuna was crimson to her neck and covered her face with her hands. Tidus was unbothered as he excused the both of them to their shared hut.

“Tidus!” Yuna laughed the moment he carried her inside. “Have you gone mad?”

Tidus kissed her hands where they still covered her face. “Hey! You knew what you were getting into when you agreed to marry me. Yuna...Yuna, we’re  _ married _ . I’m all yours now.” Her hands slid off of her face slowly, revealing those mismatched eyes that he loved so much. The blush had subsided to just her cheeks and she was biting her bottom lip through her smile. 

“You’re mine. All mine. Tidus…”

Tidus kissed her again, excited to give Yuna--his wife, his wife, his  _ wife _ \--all of himself as Tidus carried her further inside their little home.

And they did not come out for three days.

It was no terrible chore to be in the world of this goddess, Cosmos, so long as Yuna was with him. 

It was a chore, however, to be partnered with someone so unwilling to be involved in a conversation. Squall had joined Tidus in the river, the two of them attempting to take the opportunity to try and catch some of the fat, smooth fish beneath the surface. Though Squall had more patience, Tidus had been all but raised in the water, just as fast underneath the surface as he was on land.

“Four for me, one for you!” Tidus leapt onto the banks of the river with a massive struggling creature in his arm. “Keep up Leonhart!”

Squall did not look up from the water, his muscles bunched tight as a spring. “Less talking. More fishing.”

Tidus, unable to help himself, launched into the water exactly on top of the fish Squall had been stalking and managed to catch it as well. “Funny! I was about to say the same thing to you as well.”

Squall, now thoroughly doused and down by three, looked unimpressed. “Whatever.”

Tidus grinned at him. He was so used to taciturn Auron, Lulu’s dagger-sharp tongue, and Kimahri’s impenetrable silence that Cloud and Squall did not intimidate him as much as they’d likely hoped. 

In the end, Squall managed to catch one more fish, bringing their total up to one for each on their team.

The man was dripping, unamused as Tidus used one of their fish to ‘talk’ to him, one hand opening its mouth. “You lose, Leonhart.”

“Want to quit messing with our dinner?”

“Where’s your sense of humor?” Tidus laughed, knowing full well that Rinoa had gotten most of the good humor between the two of them. He did stop messing with the fish though; if Squall really, truly wanted him to stop then Tidus had a feeling he would get the ass-kicking of a lifetime.

“Constantly fighting, no way of telling when or how we’ll get back home. You’ll forgive me if I’m not exactly in the mood.” Though his tone was cold, his eyebrows were furrowed with concern. 

Always the strategist, it must have been exhausting to be worried all the time. 

Tidus preferred to just push his fear down and go with his gut. Still, it was rare he actually got to speak with Squall and his mouth wasn’t about to let the opportunity pass.

“You know,” Tidus gripped his knees as he thought of Yuna, always of Yuna, “it’s tough to explain but...I was trapped in between,”  _ Worlds? States of being? Time and space? _ He couldn’t possibly explain where he had been before Yuna had pulled him out, “it was scary then, thinking I was going to die alone. But not so much now. Yuna called me back. Although I’m her Guardian, the one supposed to protect her, I have a feeling if I’m in trouble again,” it was a fairly frequent occurrence, “she’ll guide me back home.”

Zanarkand was gone and he was still getting used to Besaid. 

Yuna was the only home he had.

Tidus felt the sadness like a chunk of ice in his chest and he had to fight it by letting his thoughts out. Even if they were foolish or annoyed his teammates. “She dances on the water to guide Spirans home. So long as I’m with her and there’s water around, it’ll all turn out ok. You know?”

Squall was silent as he picked up their catch. “We should go.”

“Right!” Tidus bounced to his feet, grabbing his share. His wife was waiting for him. His  _ wife _ .

They walked in silence for a few paces before Squall stopped. “...Flowers.”

“Huh?”

Squall turned his head, though his gaze was on the ground. “I know what you mean. She,” there was only one ‘she’ for Squall, Tidus knew all too well, “brought me back to some flower fields.”

Tidus smiled. He would have clapped Squall on the shoulder if his hands hadn’t been full of fish. “Yeah. We’ll come out alright.” Squall fell silent after this final encouragement but luckily they didn’t have to walk in silence for too long. Rinoa’s wings glowed in the distance and she ran towards them with arms open. 

“Noa!” Tidus called her, waving one of the fish in the air. 

“I’m soaked!” Squall warned, his tone less commanding and more the panicked sound of a man who had collided with Rinoa’s exuberance one too many times. Tidus reached out a hand to steady the woman as she skidded to a halt into the grass, her head tilting as she looked at Squall. 

Her pale hands made a pulling motion and Tidus saw in the low light of the evening how the water was pulled out of Squall’s clothes, leaving them dry on his body as the water droplets spattered to the earth. Rinoa nodded, pleased with her work, and then proceeded to launch herself into Squall’s arms.

From the corner of his eyes, Tidus saw Cloud approach, his hand falling away from the hilt of his sword. “Need help?”

Tidus never felt unsafe around their group, as powerful as they were.

Sin would have fallen to pieces the first time it messed with Rinoa, Squall, Cloud, and Tifa. Of course Yuna was safe with them and Tidus felt the familiar bubble of elation at seeing her rise from her spot near the campfire to come greet him. 

“Hungry?” Tidus asked, using the mouth of the fish to ask Yuna. She looked at it and bent double laughing. The sound was delightful. “Ah, Yuna.This is why I’m married to you and not Squall Leonhart.” 

“Excuse me?” She laughed harder and then, when he tried to push the fish forward to kiss her, slapped at his arm. “Tidus!”

Tidus, unable to help himself, leaned forward to embrace her. He was happy to be home. “I missed you.”

Yuna wiggled against him. “You smell like fish.” Her chin rested against his chest as she smiled. “But I missed you too. Let’s show them how to properly cook fish.” She pressed her lips to his bare chest and Tidus was overwhelmed with the desire to sweep her off her feet and kiss her. 

Yuna might also have been worried about how they were going to get home but she had always put on a brave face.

The least he could do was make her smile. 

His mother, whenever she had been in one of her rare happy moods, had called him many things. A wild thing, a gas molecule bouncing off the walls, a bright little sunbeam. Yuna, in the warmth of early morning, said he was like pure sunshine: warm and bright and giving off massive amounts of heat. She would laugh, elbowing him, when he would crush his bare body up against hers in the hot, lazy afternoons in the darkness of their home, too warm for comfort.

Even after blitzball and guarding the island and sleeping with Yuna every night...and most mornings...and some afternoons...Tidus always had too much energy. 

On Besaid, he went for runs along the beach just before bed, throwing himself in the ocean before he came home so that he smelled of sea salt rather than sweat. 

In this world, it was harder.

Though their group was constantly on the move and he was hunting and gathering and fighting as much as he had on Yuna’s pilgrimage, Tidus still burned with energy.

He could not fall asleep easily most nights. Not when his legs were tingling with the need to move, when his mouth and fingers ached for something to do. He could not sleep when his mind raced a mile a minute.

He could not relax with Yuna--his  _ wife _ \--lying asleep on his chest.

Tidus was not used to her sleeping with clothing. Normally he could run his hands up and down the smooth expanse of her back, like the shells he would collect as a child. He would run his hands down the white curves, the coolness of her skin begging for heat, and his wife--his  _ wife _ \--would smile and press into his touch.

Honestly it was a miracle either of them slept much at all. 

In this world, everyone slept around the same campfire and someone was always keeping watch in case of an ambush, so Tidus could do nothing more than remember. It was a terrible idea.

He wanted her on his mouth, in his hands, wrapped around him so badly that he felt like his blood was at a boil. Tidus sat up softly to keep from waking her and looked around for a distraction. 

Tifa was on watch, looking up at the stars, and she smiled at him as he joined her. Her hand went to Yuna’s hair, stroking it softly. “Can’t sleep?”

“Erm...something like that. Where’s Cloud?”

Tifa smiled to herself. “Oh he’s out there. Patrolling. He can’t sit still.”

“I know the feeling.” Tifa had already told him once that she and Cloud were simply childhood friends, but Tidus was afflicted with the ‘inability to leave well-enough alone’, “You  _ sure _ you’re not dating each other?”

Tifa laughed and rolled her eyes, though it seemed very forced. “You  _ do _ need sleep. You’re...seeing things.”

“You ever save him?” Tidus hoped that the conversation would continue so that he could be distracted from the desire he felt for his wife. “I bet you have; we three guys are all trouble, I think.”

“You’re right. I’ve had to come to the rescue several times.” Her cheek rested on her knee as she looked over at him. “The big one was when we both fell in the Lifestream. It’s like...the lifeblood of our planet but it can poison you if you stay in for too long. But he heard me calling and we both came back.” It sounded like there was something more, something deeper, but Tidus just basked in the low cadence of her voice, pleased that he was just as useless as Cloud and Squall. These women were too powerful. “He came back to himself.”

Tidus tilted his head, smiling. “He came back to  _ you _ .” Tifa was home. 

Tifa laughed and looked back out into the darkness. “You’re as bad as my friends back home.”

“Listen, if it’s truly the case, when you come to visit us in Spira I know some people who would love to be introduced to you.” Yuna was the only woman he would ever love so deeply but Tidus was not blind. Tifa was lovely and sweet and the men and women of Besaid would trip over themselves to monopolize her attention. “Provided you like the ocean.”

“I do. Like the ocean, I mean.” She mentioned nothing about his offer of setting her up with a Spiran, casually avoiding the topic, and Tidus would still bet gil that she would like the attention of one man only. 

“Is there--” The feeling hit him suddenly, like a powerful Sleep spell. “Oh. Ohhh gods…” In fact, as his eyelids suddenly became leaden, he was fairly certain that it  _ was _ a Sleep spell. 

“Tidus?” Tifa sounded concerned, a strong hand holding his back so he did not fall backwards. “Are you--oh. I wondered why he suddenly--” She lowered Tidus back onto the ground, Yuna’s head resting in the hollow of his throat.

There was the sound of someone approaching and Tidus heard Cloud Strife’s disgruntled voice through his sudden exhaustion. “--talks too much.” 

He was falling asleep but, alarmingly, the desire remained at a low simmer in his hips. A problem that would surely have to be dealt with later. 


	10. Yuna, Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Allow me to get back on my Final Fantasy soapbox: I wish they had put Seymour in Dissidia or at least added him alongside Jecht; he just had such a huge role in the game. He's so creepy and I think one of my favorite single scenes from all video games of all time is when Seymour kisses Yuna and they zoom in on Tidus' furious face. Young me was losing my mind over how upset Tidus was in that scene.  
> (Also I hope you appreciate the 9 couple cameo!)  
> I have this idea that Yuna, much like Squall and Cloud, is still carefully unlearning a lot of stuff. She's able to relax and enjoy things now, but I think that she still doesn't like when Tidus runs past her. (shoutout to that final tragic scene of his in FFX)  
> Finally, I kind of got carried away this chapter with Rinoa, again, casually flirting with both Tifa and Yuna. Blame Nomura for making everyone hot...

**Disc 3- Touch (Yuna)**

Though she was quiet and thoughtful, Yuna drew her strength from others. Maybe because she had seen so many loved ones come and go, but she did not like to be alone in a strange place. So when she awoke alone in the world of Cosmos, her first instinct was to find other people. 

It did not take her long, but...it was also, unfortunately the last person on earth she would ever  _ want _ to find.

Yuna would recognize that beautiful shade of aqua anywhere and she felt a little regret that the sight turned her stomach. Though she had defeated him endlessly, it seemed that she would never truly be rid of Maester Seymour. He was walking at his leisure towards two young people--a dark-haired woman in orange and a young man with a golden tail puffed up in dismay--the both of them clearly preparing to bolt. And what was more astonishing was that he did not have the crystal cast of those manikins

For Seymour, Yuna found her strongest dressphere, the Floral Fallal, feeling the cool white robes flutter around her like lily petals. 

Though she was alone, Yuna did not hesitate. She did not even bother to call his name as she cast Great Whirl, petals blasting Maester Seymour entirely off his feet. The two teenagers Seymour had been stalking stumbled backwards at the sudden attack, looking up to Yuna.

“Run!” She called to them. Though he seemed gentle and poised, Seymour would murder them without hesitation. They did not hesitate, the lean young man taking his companion by the hand as they sprinted away. Yuna did not drop her guard and it seemed Seymour had recovered from her attack, looking up at her. “Maester Seymour.”

“Lady Yuna.” She shuddered hearing her name from his mouth. No matter how many years had passed, she felt the ghost of his hand brushing the skin of her collarbone. The unwanted kiss he had given her lingered like a sickness but...she would not let it scare her; she had had a thousand better in the interim since he had tried to marry her. “How fortuitous that we should meet in this world. Though...I fear that once again fate has put us on opposing sides.”

“You serve the god, Chaos. And...those two--”

“A shame.” Seymour sighed, shaking his head. “That girl was a powerful summoner. Perhaps...even more powerful than you, my lady. But, no matter. You will serve my purpose admirably until I can find her again.”

“You will not touch me again.” Yuna insisted, just as much a promise to herself as it was a warning to Seymour. 

Seymour simply smiled at her, calm and gentle and terrifying, and the ground began to tremble. She was entirely unsurprised to see that gaping red-black maw open in the earth, chains splitting the sky as they summoned Anima up from the Farplane. Its jaws opened wide as it fixed its bright blue gaze on her.

Though Yuna had faced this behemoth before...she had never done so alone. It was a little terrifying. So focused on the aeon before her, Yuna did not notice anything else around her. 

“Float!”

Yuna screamed as she was launched into the air, her boots kicking helplessly. She was anchored to nothing and might have gone into quite a panic if she hadn’t been joined by an angel a moment later. A slim arm wrapped around her waist and Rinoa Heartilly met her gaze with an apologetic grin.

“Sorry, sorry! My Float spells are...a bit powerful no?” Yuna had often been told her eyes were startling, but this woman...her eyes  _ glowed _ gold, like wide coins. “Rinoa Heartilly, at your service.”

Yuna had just enough time to take in her lovely slim form, the lively, sweet face, and those  _ wings _ before Rinoa noticed something and the two of them dropped several feet, Yuna clutching on to Rinoa’s shoulders. Anima’s blast of magic soared through the exact spot in the air they had been in only a moment before and Rinoa looked up, unimpressed.

“How rude.”

“He does not get better with time, I’m afraid.” Yuna managed to gasp. “I’m Yunalesca, but my friends call me Yuna.”

“Yuna it is!” She was dazzling, cocking her head as she smiled. “Shall we deal with him so that we can have a proper conversation?”

Seymour was staring at Rinoa as she hovered, holding Yuna. Though his expression was calm, his eyes were intense. “It seems you can summon forces as well. And...you have more power than Yuna and the Dagger girl  _ combined _ . I would take your power in their stead.”

“I’d like to see you try, creep!” She kicked her booted feet in Seymour’s general direction, almost as if she was trying to kick him directly in the face. “My power is only for women, you see.”

Seymour frowned, clearly unnerved by her careless bravado. “Then die.”

“Oh, Hyne.” Rinoa swore, as Anima began charging up another attack. Her wings folded around Yuna, solidifying to a protective golden shell. “Brace yourself. He’s not going to hold back this time.”

At first Yuna thought Rinoa was talking about Anima. But then there was a blast of light that cut through the earth in a single slice. Anima was vivisected, the halves smoking from the force of the cut and a furious young man was standing in front of them, with his blade glowing dark blue. He glanced over one shoulder and Rinoa brightened, bouncing in place. “You ok?”

“If I wasn’t?” She was glowing with good health, clearly not fooling him in the least.

He sighed. “Just...keep yourselves safe, ok?”

Rinoa flicked Haste magic at him and Yuna saw the young man shudder with the feeling of it. ”And let you have all the fun, Squall? Highly unlikely.” Her wings glowed gold to match her eyes and Yuna was left breathless by the both of them.

Yuna had never seen Maester Seymour cast a retreat so quickly.

Between Rinoa’s magic and Squall’s steel and cold fury, Seymour was so out of his league that he slid backwards into a yawning black portal before Squall could run him through. His gray-blue eyes were bright and attractive as he shouldered his sword and Rinoa let Yuna float gently to the ground so that she could fall directly into his open arms.

“You’re amazing!” She laughed, quickly kissing his cheek and Yuna smiled at their easy intimacy.

“You’re trouble.” He sighed, setting Rinoa down. “Are you alright, erm, miss?”

“I am. Thank you both so much.” Yuna bowed and let the illusion of the dressphere fall away back to her flowered summoner’s skirt. Rinoa looked positively delighted by it. 

“That’s  _ amazing _ !” So quick, she ran over to take Yuna’s hands, swinging them back and forth. “Listen. You’re traveling alone right, Yuna? Do you want to come with us? Strength in numbers, you know!” Rinoa did not even bother to ask Squall’s advice; it was clear he was willing to humor her with whatever she wanted.

“I’d love to.” Yuna squeezed her hands in return, unable to keep from smiling in return. “Speaking of which...I’m looking for someone. Have you happened to hear anyone whistle while you’ve been on your journey?”

She knew in her heart that Tidus was here too and she was going to find him.

It was she who whistled first, drawing Tidus across that shallow water to her at a full-tilt sprint. Though her vision spun as he twirled her around, Yuna felt comfort and ease return to every corner of herself, just as the warmth from Tidus’ arms soaked into her skin. 

And he had brought such attractive and sweet companions with him.

She liked both Cloud Strife and Tifa Lockhart on sight, even though Cloud ducked his head, disinclined at first to look anyone in the eye. Though Lulu or Paine or Sir Auron may have called her naive and too trusting, she saw the two of them and had an immediate feeling that she could trust them with her life. 

Their group was easy, traveling together like they had been doing so for months, rather than just a few days. Though Yuna did not like being chased by manikins and often wanted to be alone with Tidus so badly that her teeth ached, she was glad to have others with them. 

When Yuna woke one morning after having taken the brutal second watch with Tidus and saw that he was brimful with energy, it was a relief to have others in their group.

“I think,” even after leading her own pilgrimage, Yuna still had difficulty offering anything other than suggestions, “that it would be helpful for you three to scout ahead and look for water. We could clean up camp in the meantime.” She loved him beyond hope and reason, but if Tidus did not burn off his boundless energy, then someone would kill him. 

Squall, the best they had for a strategist, nodded softly. “Alright.” His brow furrowed slightly. “We heard laughter-- _ human _ laughter--last night and it sounded...deranged. I think someone who is on the opposing side was watching us.”

“Or hunting us.” Cloud added. Their...forthright pragmatism fit so well together.

“In any case,” Squall looked directly at Rinoa, “be careful.”

Tidus kissed Yuna on the mouth before he left, his aqua eyes shining so brightly that Yuna trembled. “I’ll be back soon.  _ Yuna _ .” He said her name with unbridled joy, as if he could not believe his good fortune to even say her name. 

She  _ wanted _ \--

But then he was off and running, outstripping Squall and Cloud before either of them could attempt to chastise him. Yuna watched the three of them go until they disappeared; she did not like to see Tidus run from her--

Arms wrapped around her collarbone, like the way Tidus liked to hold her, and she briefly wondered if he had run so quickly that he had crossed the world to come up behind her.

“They’ll be back. Don’t worry.” Yuna touched her fingers to Rinoa’s arms and smiled back at her. Like Tidus, Rinoa was so positive, it was impossible not to be in a good mood around her. 

“Cloud will bring them both back out of spite alone.” Tifa agreed, the only one actually bothering to clean up the campsite. With the three of them and Rinoa’s power, it took less than fifteen minutes to help Tifa with the rest and then they were free to talk and keep lookout. 

“When I get back to Edge,” Tifa sighed, stretching out her legs,” I’m going to splurge on a scented bar of soap, use materia to run the hottest shower in existence, and boil myself.” 

“Splurging on soap?” 

“ _ Good _ soap.” Tifa smiled. It was clear that she did not begrudge Rinoa for missing the obvious clues of poverty that she and Cloud often let slip. “The stuff we normally get doesn’t have any scent at all.”

“When I get back to Balamb, I’m going to try and convince Squall to go into the city with me. Go to a restaurant, get some drinks, maybe convince him to dance with me. I miss being around people...What about you, Yuna?”

It was clear that Rinoa had lived in a place where death was not always imminent and, in a way, Yuna envied her ease and carefree nature. She was still learning to live in the new reality without Sin. No longer did she walk to the seaside with weaponry and an escape plan in case of an attack, no longer did she wonder if each day would be her last. She could  _ have  _ things, she could entertain thoughts of a future that did not involve sacrifice. She could also be happy and carefree but...it was easier said than done. 

It was astonishing how elation and terror could exist simultaneously in this new reality. 

Though they had killed Yu Yevon, destroyed a god if only to save her life, Yuna sometimes slipped up. In the humid mornings when Tidus was warm and sleeping on her, his face boyish and sweet in sleep, Yuna thanked Yu Yevon and the forces of fate that had brought this man to her. She loved him. She lived in terror of losing him. Now that she knew how it felt to be loved so thoroughly, she would not be able to live without it. Yuna was careful to wish for things. 

“I simply...hope that we all return safely.” 

Rinoa looked at her and laughed kindly, her laughter almost musical. The girl’s head rested on Yuna’s bare shoulder. “Oh Yuna, you’re so good and sweet. Making me sound selfish. But there  _ must _ be something else you’d like to do!” 

There was likely something bright and charming about the world that had fostered gentle people like Rinoa and Squall. Yuna thought of how Rinoa talked of large rooms solely for dancing and parties, where people wore fine clothes for occasions other than funerals and weddings, if only to look nice and have fun. 

“I’d like to...go to a party, like you do in Balamb,” the only place for something on a similar scale would be Bevelle, “I...I’ve never been to a party for no reason at all.” There was always...the fear of Sin coming to such a large gathering.

Rinoa rocked back on her hips. “Hyne, I wish you all could come to Balamb, even if just for a day. Get dressed up, drink, dance…” That infectious giggle of hers caused both Tifa and Yuna to smile. “It would be worth it just to see Cloud and Tidus wrestled into SeeD uniforms. They’d  _ hate _ it but…” She bit her bottom lip and Yuna knew she had done the same when seeing Tidus in his flame-colored wedding jacket, “SeeD uniforms look so good on anyone.”

Yuna tried to imagine what a SeeD uniform looked like as Rinoa explained it and it sounded like something Tidus would put up with for only a single night. Long-sleeved, tight, and high-collared, it would be offensive to his constitution. He looked good already in the breezy comfortable clothes that suited the heat and the sea, but...the uniform she had imagined would look so good on him.

“Oh it sounds…” Yuna felt as though a hot coal had been dropped into the pit of her stomach, “wonderful.”

Everything suited Tidus. 

Squall’s white shirt and leather pants would strain against the lean lines of his muscles. Cloud’s black sweater he would unzip to his navel, the garment exposing both of his dark forearms. She half wanted to ask the two men to let her copy their clothes to a sphere for Tidus. 

After all, Tidus enjoyed it so much when she showed him her dresspheres, allowing him to peel the cloth and armor off of her.

He liked slipping his hands into the deep V-cut of her gunner outfit, grazing his fingers up the high slit of her gun mage skirt. His touch was unerringly gentle when she wore frothy skirts and soft, gauzy fabrics but he was a little firmer, bordering on rough when she wore leathers and straps tight across her body. Even now she wondered how Tidus would feel if she came to him dressed in Rinoa’s skin-tight shorts or Tifa’s leather shirt with its tempting silver zipper…

She jolted as Tifa pressed the back of her wrist to Yuna’s forehead. “Are you alright? You look feverish.”

Yuna blushed even more, realizing she had been lost in the clouds, thinking of Tidus’ hands on her when she had been in the midst of a conversation with Tifa and Rinoa, though Rinoa had momentarily distracted by movement on the horizon.

“J-Just--maybe...a little too much sun.” Yuna lied. Though her skin was pale, she had been raised on an island and had never once burned. “I’ll be fine in a moment or two.”

“Can’t be too careful.” Tifa looked toward the sky and then shifted so her back was toward the sun. “Come here.” Yuna could scarcely argue as Tifa gently pulled her over and allowed Yuna to rest her head on her lap. “I have two kids living with me and they’d be out in the sun until they’d faint if I let them.”

“Oh, you have children?” Yuna tried to imagine them, as she often did while thinking of what Tidus’ children would look like. Though she could only see them with Tifa’s dark hair, perhaps one of them had inherited Cloud’s lovely blue eyes; it was a foregone conclusion, despite Tifa’s insistence of only friendship, that Yuna imagined the children as Cloud’s. 

“No--I!” Tifa was bright red. “Th-they’re not--one is the child of a friend of ours. The other is an orphan we took in.” 

“I see.” Yuna did not push the issue when it clearly embarrassed Tifa. “But I’m sure they love you regardless.” She was so beautiful and sweet and gentle, how could they not?

Tifa had no response, but her blush softened as she cleared the hair from Yuna’s forehead. For a moment, things were quiet and relaxed...

“I’m so jealous!” Rinoa bent down with her hands on her hips and might have been affronted, if she hadn’t been smiling so brightly. Yuna wondered if the woman had ever been anything less than sunny a day in her life. “I want to rest on Tifa’s lap too.”

Yuna smiled up at her, shifting down closer to the knee and Tifa patted her legs. “Plenty of room for you too.” Rinoa was all too eager to join in and Yuna felt Rinoa’s warm head next to hers as she closed her eyes. Like this, she missed the calm, level presence of Lulu and Paine, the bright vibrancy of Rikku. 

“We should keep watch too.” Yuna bumped her head softly against Rinoa’s, even though she was too comfortable to move. “Poor Tifa, doing all the work.”

“As always.” Tifa laughed, seemingly unbothered.

A quick kiss to Yuna’s temple and a golden shell spell glittered into creation in a dome over Tifa’s head. “Problem solved. Anyone messes with Tifa and that will send them back on their ass.” 

“All that power.” Tifa sighed, looking up at the sky through that honeycomb latticework. “It’s a wonder you don’t explode from it all. In our world...that much power would be corrupting. Too much mako and things...start to go wrong.”

“It’s the same in Spira.” Yuna said, thinking of the maesters and their unwillingness to die, their fondness for power. “But Squall helps, doesn’t he?” 

“He does.” Rinoa laughed. “A lot of sorceresses use their power to bend time, to stay alive longer and subjugate people. But...I’ve never wanted that; I hate when...people I care about die and leave me behind. It would be lonely, being an ageless sorceress without everyone I love. Even if it means I won’t live forever. I’ll take a short life with Squall rather than ages without him.”

Yuna reached up her hand to pat Rinoa’s downy cheek. The opposite of power-hungry, Rinoa seemed to be the perfect person to have inherited so much power. Perhaps it would be genetic. Maybe if she chose to have children with smooth dark hair and glimmering gray eyes, she’d gift some of her power to them as well. 

She rested, almost dozed as Rinoa continued to compliment Tifa liberally, until there was the telltale sound of someone running straight at them.

“Attack?” Yuna sat up wildly, her chestnut hair in a cloud around her face.

“Watch the barrier!” Rinoa yelped. But it was too late.

Tidus trotted into the barrier and was bounced off like a blitzball, laughing as soon as he hit the ground. The shell went away, Rinoa sending out healing magic like a balm, but Yuna knew it was unnecessary; Tidus was stubborn and tough, bouncing up from injuries with a smile, like children did. Yuna laughed along with him.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” Rinoa was torn between wanting to laugh and genuine concern. “You’re so damn fast!”

“I’m fine!” Tidus rocked back up to his feet, grinning. “This is what I get for outrunning the other two.” Though Cloud was the strongest and Squall was the best fighter, neither of them could keep pace with Tidus, the two of them still just dark figures on the horizon. 

Yuna walked over to Tidus, clearing the hair from his face to look for any lingering injuries. There wouldn’t be any, thanks to Rinoa’s magic, but... it was nice to just touch him. “Thank goodness for this hard head.”

Tidus laughed and kissed each of her hands. “Worse comes to worse, I’ll headbutt these manikins. What were you all doing?”

“Tifa was letting us rest on her lap.” 

“Talk about anything fun?” Tidus did not miss when Yuna’s cheeks flushed as she remembered. Remembered the idea of him in uniform or in Cloud and Squall’s clothes. Tidus kissed her forehead, one warm arm resting across her collarbone. “What are you thinking about? Blushing so pretty like that.”

The thoughts of children came again and the feelings of love and want swelled in a golden bubble in her heart. 

She wanted them with his golden hair, wild and cheeky and funny just like he was. She wanted them to collapse in a heap on her lap, brown from the sun and smelling of the ocean, to laugh easily and be bold enough to say whatever came into their minds at that exact moment. If one of them had her mother’s green eyes she would be pleased but...she mostly wanted them as vibrant and friendly and healthy as Tidus.

“Just...thinking about you.” Always about him. 

Tidus smiled back at her and, when he kissed her forehead, Yuna felt like she would melt into a puddle at his feet.


	11. Yuna, Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh! Time for Part 2 of Yuna, then it's just 1 more for Tidus and a small epilogue.  
> Though I feel like Rinoa gets along with everyone, I feel like Yuna is actually the most comforting for everyone in their group. Cloud and Tifa would probably never want to leave the Farplane which I think would be a beautiful, tragic thing to write about if I ever brought them to Spira. Also, though it's unlikely, I like the idea that once Squall realizes who Rinoa's mother is, he sometimes hums Eyes on Me, just because it would calm her down.   
> Only 2 left after this!

**Disc 3-Touch (Yuna)**

Yuna was endlessly charmed by Tidus’ awe over her ability to notice the little things about their companions. Maybe it was because she listened and watched while Tidus spoke and acted; he saw things on a massive general scale, while she relished the small details. It was one of the reasons they made such an effective team. But she liked to see the amazed look in his eyes when she saw things that even Tifa and Rinoa missed.

Tidus had been resting his head on her lap on night when they were taking the first watch, he keeping their Shell spell in place as she sifted fingers through his hair, humming the hymn of the Fayth. 

Tidus normally hated the song, as it reminded him of Yu Yevon, but...he knew it calmed her. When he had expressed his visceral hatred of the song one night as they walked the beaches of Besaid, Yuna had offered to cease humming it if it caused him pain. Tidus had kissed both her hands in response. 

“Don’t stop. It’s part of you and I love you. Sing it all you want.”

Yuna did not do so constantly. She saved the song for when she really needed to calm herself so that Tidus would not have to be reminded of all that they had both lost to Sin and Yu Yevon. A beautiful but melancholy reminder.

At least it seemed to calm him now, reminding him of Spira as the Shell stayed firmly in place, in spite of his closed eyes. They were both so relaxed, Yuna nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard a voice over the soft strain of the hymn. 

“That song,” Squall Leonhart woke so silently and with such little fuss that Yuna had not even realized that he was listening, his gray-blue eyes soft in the firelight, “it’s...nice.”

Yuna paused the song and smiled over at him. 

They were a mirror of each other: Squall clear-eyed and awake, even though he had definitely been asleep only moments before, his hand errantly running through Rinoa’s dark hair. It seemed he was buying Rinoa a few more moments of sleep before they began the brutal second watch.

“It’s the Hymn of the Fayth.” Yuna explained as Tidus remained quiet on her lap. He likely considered Squall speaking more than ‘yes’ or ‘no’ as a talkative day and didn’t want to interrupt. “In Spira, it guides the spirits of the dead to the Farplane.” Squall tilted his head by way of showing he had no guess as to what the Farplane was. “It’s a gathering place for the dead. Or...the memories of them.”

“How...comforting.” Was his opinion and Yuna felt Tidus shaking on her lap. 

“It is. We can go back and see the souls of those who have gone on. To seek their wisdom and to...recover from the pain of loss.”

His stoic expression changed for a moment--though it could have just been the changing of the firelight. “It must be nice. Especially if so many people...leave.” 

“If you and Rinoa come to Spira, we can show you, if you like.”

Rinoa shifted uneasily against Squall and nothing could monopolize his attention so quickly. “Mm. Thank you. But...I don’t even know who I would see. Every person I care for is alive.” He said it as though he did not quite believe it. 

If Yuna was built for jealousy, she might have been jealous of Squall and all that he still had. But there was only elation for a friend. “That’s  _ wonderful _ .” The last word came out in a bit of a squeak as Tidus hugged her tight around the waist and Squall choked a little, his hand going over his mouth.

“You two should sleep. I’ll wake Rinoa.” Even though he said he would, Squall was so gentle pulling Rinoa up to a sitting position on his lap, she did not wake up, her dark head lolling.

“Night, Squall.” Tidus rolled so that Yuna was on top of him, causing her to yelp again and a glassy marble of glowing materia sailed over the low fire and hit him in the back of the head. A gentle warning to be quiet or face Cloud’s wrath.

Yuna and Tidus laughed quietly, helplessly for a few moments before exhaustion caught hold and his warm limbs draped around her, better than any blanket.

She was nodding off too when she heard it, just barely louder than the rustling of the grass. Yuna elbowed Tidus softly enough to wake him, but not enough to stop Squall from humming under his breath. It was a soft little melody, like a bright waltz, and Yuna could so clearly envision Squall turning softly as Rinoa spun around him. 

“Is he…?” Tidus murmured, only one eye open as they listened to stoic Squall Leonhart hum until Rinoa shifted in his arms. Tidus smiled down at Yuna, pleased to see further proof that the man was not machina covered in human skin. “He’s  _ singing _ .”

“Shhh.” Yuna insisted, not wanting to ruin it for Squall. “He’s  _ humming _ .”

“This song again?” Rinoa murmured, her voice thick with sleep, and Tidus shook with laughter against Yuna. Clearly he could relate to the same melody. “You better stop, Commander, or I’m going to ask you to dance with me.”

Yuna heard Squall make a noise that might have been a laugh and Tidus looked down at her like he had seen an aeon burst out of the sky and begin playing blitzball. Then it was her turn to shake with silent laughter over his expression,Tidus continuing to laugh just because she was having a hard time trying to control herself. It was a helpless cycle. The two of them were holding onto each other tight to keep from ruining the quiet of the evening, embarrassing Squall and potentially waking Cloud and Tifa. 

But Squall helped them out. 

For Rinoa, it seemed he was willing to do anything, even if it meant singing again. His hum was low but unmistakable: the Hymn of the Fayth. Yuna was so surprised that her silent laughter abated in favor of listening.

It sounded like a lullaby, the most soothing, loving strain of a lullaby, and she felt Tidus smile as he kissed her forehead. “It  _ is _ nice.”

Yuna thought of how wonderful it would be to show Rinoa the beautiful Moonflow, to bring Tifa and Cloud to Bevelle, and take Squall to the Farplane to see whoever it was who had gone on. She’d like them to hear the hymn in the hollows of those temples. But for now…

She and Tidus nodded off to sleep with the help of that song she knew so well.

“Beautiful,” Rinoa murmured.

Although it was a beautiful world, Spira had its darkness. Oftentimes when Yuna had been young and boldly declared her intent to become a summoner, people would look at her with sadness in their proud smiles. 

“She lives so that she can die,” they murmured just out of earshot. Dark thoughts about anyone, especially a child, but true. 

Yuna’s mother had died, her father was on a pilgrimage to die, there was a great chance that anyone close to her would die, so she was very familiar, comfortable even, with the thought of death. Maybe it was for that reason that--for the most part--she had fond memories of her pilgrimage. 

She liked being surrounded by friends, visiting parts of the world she had never seen before, and doing things that might not befit a lady of her station. Like joining with the Al-Bhed, marrying a maester under false pretenses, falling in love with her guardian, and destroying the very god of Spira. Very unbefitting of a lady.

Maybe that was why she was so relaxed in this world of Cosmos’. It was almost like being on another pilgrimage only death was not assured. 

She tried to remain positive on this thought as they trudged through sleepless nights and endless fights but even she was not invincible. The manikins pushed even Tidus’ good humor to the limit and Yuna began to falter as they waited for Cloud to return from scouting ahead. Only her determination and fear of being a burden kept her from sinking to her knees.

Though many might think her flippant and flighty, Rinoa noticed things, noticed gently. Her well of magic was cool as silk into Yuna’s bones but it did not last forever; Rinoa was tired too.

Shame was hot in her cheeks as she stumbled over her own two feet and Cloud was forced to carry her for the final stretch of their journey. “Forgive me, Cloud. I’ll be fine in a moment.” Even though she said this, the muscles of her legs cried in relief over not having to rest on solid ground. 

Cloud responded by hoisting her up higher. “It’s nothing. It’ll be worse if you fall during a fight. I’d rather carry you than watch you die.” And then, almost as an afterthought, “You’re not a burden.”

“Thank you. But if you’re tired, you have to put me down. Who would carry you?”

Cloud snorted. “If Commander Leonhart isn’t up to the task then I’m sure Rinoa could fling me halfway across the world.”

Yuna cupped his handsome jaw for a moment, finding it tense. “Take care of yourself too.” She had a feeling that Cloud was also the type to push himself a little too hard, to never show weakness. “I fear my magic wouldn’t do much to ease you if something happened.”

Cloud shook his head in disbelief. “You’re so--just...try to stay positive. It helps. It helps all of us. I don’t know how you can be...when we’re being forced to fight.”

Yuna let herself relax against him. “How can I be negative? With good people like you and Tifa to fight by my side.” In her heart, she supplied the answer for her four new companions, though the importance would likely mean nothing to Cloud. 

_ Guardians _ . 

“Rest.” He insisted quietly. “I’ve got you.”

Yuna relaxed and, almost immediately, fell into a light sleep, her head bouncing uselessly against Cloud’s firm shoulder. She would never sleep deeply against someone like Cloud though; his skin was too cool. She immediately felt the difference once Cloud deposited her in Tidus’ arms once they were in the safety of their grove. 

“Thanks bro.” Tidus groaned as one hand cupped the back of Yuna’s head. Her head rested like a rock against his warm palm, the heat of his skin soothing her aching muscles. 

“I’m not your br--”

Any protests of Cloud’s were lost in favor of limp, drooling sleep where Yuna dreamt of Tidus. Dreamt of him slick and sun-sweet in shallow water the same color as his aqua eyes, jacket discarded on the beach, and Yuna smiled at him. Because she was alive and Tidus was alive and he was all hers. 

Once she had had a full night’s rest, Yuna’s energy manifested in a dangerous way. She tried not to appear unduly excited as she tugged the clothes impatiently from her filthy body. It was hell for a Spiran to be so close to the water and not go in immediately and...she wanted to swim with Tidus. 

His element was water, he looked good when dripping wet, and she wanted him to hold her in the warm water, with that fine, dark chest bare and flexing minutely against her. The imagery was so tantalizing that she nearly missed Rinoa’s follow up question after she had made the daring admission that they should have bathed in pairs.

“And Tidus?” 

Rinoa was as quick in the water as she was on land, her lean, elegant body cutting silently through the water. Her eyes were alight with that wicked curiosity of hers that had clearly toppled Squall’s defenses; they had already flustered Tifa with insinuations about Cloud, Rinoa readily admitted her adoration of Squall, so now--naturally--it was Yuna’s turn.

“He’s...warm.” Yuna felt her cheeks flush, just from admitting that simple fact. “I can always tell him apart from you all. Your skin is so cool in comparison.” She took Rinoa’s slim fingers and they immediately heated with fire magic, making Yuna laugh. “Unless you do that!”

“Island boy.” Tifa nodded.

“When did you realize that you liked him?” Rinoa was utterly insatiable.

“Mmm…” Yuna had to think back. She was probably similar to Squall, where someone had barrelled through her defenses with sunny smiles and endless optimism, charming her before she could rebuild a decorous distance. “I think...well, he made me  _ laugh _ .” Her friends made her smile but only Tidus could make her laugh until she cried. Such joy had been so rare in Spira and she treasured it. 

“Ah!” Rinoa fell backward with a splash and Tifa laughed. “Lady Yuna, you’re so sweet. There’s no way I can tease you for that.” She winked at Yuna, clearly not too upset over the fact. “What do you think, Tifa?”

Tifa had tried to find an obtrusive spot to soak, her impressive body blurred under the surface. “I think Yuna will gracefully take any teasing of yours. But I also think he fit too well with your seaside town. Like...he’d always belonged there.”

It was an excellent guess.

The thought stuck with Yuna long after they had dried off and eaten dinner, the thought a comfortable warmth in her chest. It was true...though she knew that most of her life had been absent Tidus’ presence on Besaid, she could not imagine the island without seeing him there. 

She rested her head against his shoulder and…wanted...

When it came time for their group to get rest, it was Tidus’ brilliant idea for each of them to pair off in separate areas. Much like Rinoa, it was clear he also liked the idea of having a rare bit of privacy.

She watched her companions decide on their spots and was pleased to see that her guess for each of them came to fruition. 

Squall let Rinoa pick their spot, even though he was arguably the best strategist of the group, following her with tenderness in his gaze. She settled down near an outcropping of gray boulders, the grass soft and overgrown, almost directly beneath the full moon. Cloud simply stayed where he was seated against a tree trunk closest to the campfire and Tifa stretched out on the ground not far from him. Yuna slipped her hand into Tidus’, knowing that they would both pick the same spot and smiled up at him when they walked in the same direction. Spirans were always more at ease near water of any kind, so it made sense they were both the most relaxed in the spot closest to the spring they had all bathed in.

“This good for you?” Tidus asked, basically bouncing in place.

“It’s fine.” Yuna smiled softly at their similarities. She had always been so...proud and envious of Tidus: of his sunny disposition and bold mouth and boundless optimism. She was happy when she found small similarities. “Although the ground may be a little rockier here.”

Tidus shrugged. “I can sleep on anything,” he could; he could fall asleep standing up in a pinch, “but if you’re uncomfortable, you can sleep on top of me.”

Yuna nearly bit the inside of her cheek over the easy suggestion. She was going to have to exercise most of her considerable self control if she was going to be sleeping on top of him. 

“It’ll be just like sleeping near Lake Macalania again.” Tidus shrugged, not noticing the way Yuna gripped her skirt just to keep from falling apart. She thought briefly about pulling him in the water and crying from frustration until he kissed her again. Tidus didn’t seem to notice her consternation, in favor of plopping back on the rocks and holding out his arms. “My lady.”

Yuna laughed at him using her title and fell gratefully into his embrace. It was like liquid sunlight in his arms. “Should I call you ‘Lord Tidus’ in front of everyone? Cloud will need a title then too.”

“Just call me your husband and I’ll be more than happy. My beautiful wife.” He leaned back so that he was lying prone on the rocky ground, Yuna draped across his chest. Her heart fluttered, as always, when he called her his wife. “Let’s sleep, Yuna.”

“Ok.” 

Though Tidus was able to sprawl across any flat surface and fall asleep, Yuna took a little longer to become comfortable. She tossed and turned on his body before settling a little, finding it hard to relax. 

Being this close to him but unable to touch him was unbearable.

Yuna had apparently become spoiled after six months of marriage, her body electrified with the intense lack of touch that nearly two weeks of travel had brought about. She had never had these issues on her pilgrimage or when she and the Gullwings were on their journey but…

Well Tidus had always said that she was better than him at everything, save three activities: blitzball, saying stupid things, and making love.

Yuna agreed with him on the last one. He was so good he often made Yuna cry and curse and behave in a way that was almost primal. Though she apologized for the helpless scratches and bites and bruises that her heels left in the handsome taper of his waist, Tidus never seemed to mind; he actually looked proud most of the time, almost smug. As if he knew that she was wanting him more and more each day.

She wanted him now. 

She wanted to grip handfuls of his gold hair, see his eyes flash like sunlight off the water, she wanted the heat of him to take her breath away: mouth warm as the shallows of the sea, body like direct sunlight, so hot inside of her that she would simultaneously melt and clench him tight. 

When they had traveled together after their marriage, Yuna had overheard some rude sentiments--generally from the older generation--that she was wasted on him, that he would ruin her. They had no idea.

She  _ was _ ruined. She was addicted. She was reckless.

She wanted Tidus so badly.

She must have been shifting unconsciously--or he was just very good now at sensing when she was distressed--because he opened his eyes as if she had been speaking her thoughts aloud.

“You ok?” Tidus asked, clearing the hair from her face. Just a simple touch and she shivered like it was the first time he had ever touched her. 

Yuna remembered that night in the Macalania Woods when he had kissed her for the first time and it felt like she had floated out of her skin and into the warm forest air. It was the first time in her life she had viscerally, desperately wanted to live. Even now, her toes curled at the memory. 

“Yes. I’m ok. But, Tidus?”

Hm?”

“Kiss me?” It was a dangerous request. Kissing invariably led to more as Tidus had minimal self control and Yuna was weak to him. But his lack of self control was going to be their undoing.

If Yuna asked him honestly for something, he would give it to her.

His hands were warm on her cheeks, his mouth even warmer. His kiss was chaste, trying to keep things under control but Yuna ruined it. Her kiss nursed at his upper lip, her tongue just barely brushing the seam of his closed lips, and Tidus gasped. She could feel his self control unravelling if only judging by the heat rolling off of him and then his hands were in her hair, his tongue was in her mouth, and she had thrown both arms around his neck. Quite easily, Yuna straddled Tidus’ muscular thigh and was glad for his constant exercise regiment; his muscle so tight against her that her eyelashes started to flutter and her toes tingled.

It seemed a waste to have it happen so quickly but…

She couldn’t help herself and she knew that Tidus was very good at building her up to it again. Gripping the two leather straps of his suspenders, Yuna crushed her hips down hard against the warm muscle of Tidus’ leg and rocked hard. Thank the gods his mouth was there to muffle hers because two weeks of abstinence hit her hard. Her grip on his leather suspenders were the only thing that kept her from fainting. 

“ _ Yuna _ .” Tidus’ voice was breathy with disbelief, his blush so deep that it showed even on his dark cheeks. “We shouldn’t--”

Yuna leaned forward to kiss him again, mouth open and body jerking from aftershocks. He caught her tongue gently between his teeth and held her steady. “We can’t--” Her voice was more breath than sound. 

“They might  _ hear  _ us.” Tidus insisted even as he was fumbling at the belt around his waist. Yuna’s clothes were less complicated; she could pull off the length of white cloth that served as her shirt in one smooth motion. Tidus slipped the leather suspenders off of his shoulders and Yuna had to find new purchase in his golden hair.

“They might  _ see _ us.” Her skirt was next, the fabric pooling around her ankles so that she was left in her boots, sash, and the black undergarments that also served as a swimsuit. Yuna buried her face in Tidus’ warm neck as he paused from undressing himself to run his hands down her breasts and up her legs. Though it was her word of caution, she suddenly found that she didn’t care if anyone in their group saw. 

Tidus pulled back and he looked positively dishevelled. 

His yellow jacket was half off, his hair sticking up, lips wet, and eyes wide with desperation. “Should we stop? Yuna, should we stop?” If she asked him honestly, he would stop. He’d throw himself in the water to calm down before he went against an honest request of Yuna’s. 

It was no decision at all. “Don’t stop.”


	12. Tidus, Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's this? Me not taking 2ish weeks to update this fic? Well I've finished the fic for my other fandom and I want to finish this one ASAP so I can start working on a FF7 fic.  
> The more I watched in content while writing this fic, the more I kind of fell in love with Tidus, if I can be real. I just have...a feeling about him, you know? Like those sporty guys who talk big about their strength and stamina but can like...actually deliver. I think if I had to pick one of these 3 dudes...it'd be pretty close but, man Tidus is up there. Also, Besaid is so chill and these two are actually married and don't have a lot of commitments like the others so they can be free to get their freak on. With those dresspheres around, roleplay has to be HUGE in Spira.  
> Also I love the idea that Tidus is just like, 'fuck it, I'll risk the ass beating of a lifetime if I can sleep with my wife'. I enjoyed the imagery of a Dissidia FMV where Tidus spits in Chaos' eye, all because he couldn't give Yuna that 10th orgasm. Whatta guy.  
> In any case, next chapter is the epilogue! Hope you enjoy!

**Disc 3-Touch (Tidus)**

His mindset as a guardian had never seemed to leave Tidus. He would follow Yuna through fire, do anything she asked him without question.

So when she told him not to stop, who was he to argue?

“ _ Yuna _ .” His voice was a hot rush as he touched her with practiced hands. He pushed up under the black fabric of her top until it hung slack around her breastbone, his fingers slipping easily past the waistband of her matching bottoms. Though it had only been a couple of weeks, it felt like longer. “Those two will  _ kill _ me.” He couldn’t be quiet, not when he was still half-dressed and his toes were already curling.

“I’ll protect you.” She insisted, her hands tracing the trim curves of his hip bones.

“Good point.” Easily persuaded, he kissed her again and let his hands wander further. 

Yuna looked slim in the flowing style of Spiran clothing but Tidus knew the curves under her clothes. His wife--his  _ beautiful _ wife--was lush, breasts and backside just slightly too full for his hands. She arched into his touch, begging for his fingers and tongue, somehow more appealing for the bits of clothing that remained on. 

He wanted to hold her by the inviting length of yellow silk around her waist and use it as a handle while he made love to her. He wanted to take the strings of her flowing sleeves and tie them together so that she was bound at the elbow, her breasts pushed together.

Tidus  _ lived _ for the little noises of delight Yuna made, her bare arms resting hard against her mouth as he rubbed the pale brown tips of her nipples, traced the soft curve of her waist, and expertly grazed the damp fabric with a touch so light it would have been imperceptible on any other part of the body. Her hips tilted up softly to follow the path of his warm fingers and Tidus felt his heartbeat in his teeth.

His mind raced as he thought of all he wanted to do with her, his free hand tugging at his clothes. Every breath was her name, “Yuna, Yuna, Yuna.”

“Tidus,” her hands were smooth as they stroked down the solid planes of his body. Yuna had always loved his bare torso and arms, her touch firmer as she rubbed up the muscle of his thigh, between his legs.

He was weaker than she was.

His groan cut through the sweet silence of the night and Yuna’s hands left his body to press over his mouth. They both clenched tight, looking towards the entrance of the spring, just in case Cloud came to freeze him where he lay. 

The terror did not dull his arousal. 

With his pulse racing and Yuna pressed tight against him, one touch would have him screaming again. No one came to investigate and Tidus breathed a sigh of relief. Yuna giggled as he slumped in relief.

“They must be deeply asleep.”

“They won’t be for long.” Tidus promised, feeling sweat drip down his temples. “I...I don’t think I can be quiet tonight.”

She paused for a moment to think as Tidus lapped at one peaked nipple. Thank the gods one of them could stop and think. His plan was to keep going at full volume and just...let Cloud and Squall kill him.

Stopping was not an option. “You could--ah!--use my top...for your mouth.”

She was brilliant.

Tidus scrambled for the length of white cloth that served as Yuna’s top, the fabric going between his teeth as he knotted it tightly around his head. Lulu had always said he was a noisy bastard and he was hoping to mitigate that by any means necessary. It was still warm from Yuna’s skin as he bit down, the groan stifled as Yuna arched up against him, impatient in only this one activity.

Tidus wanted to scream as her hip rubbed him between his legs again but it came out muffled. It was... _ nice _ .

He was not above anything so long as it felt good.

He’d let Yuna strike him with leather straps, tease him until his vision went white, hold him however she liked. Which reminded him...

“What do you want?” He asked, pulling the cloth from his mouth for a split second, the words coming out in one solid rush. He wanted everything, anything, so he’d defer to her expert judgment.

“ _ Hurry _ .”

No need to tell him twice, Tidus peeled off his gloves and tossed them aside, Yuna’s arms going around his neck. She shifted her legs helpfully as Tidus slid one hand between them. His touch was firm this time and the fabric dampened under the pads of his fingers.

Normally he would draw things out, be patient for once in his life, but...she had asked him to hurry. He would hurry for his wife, his beautiful wife.

Pressing his hand flat against Yuna’s abdomen, Tidus slid his fingers down deliberately past the band of her underwear; his heart was beating so quickly, even though he had done this hundreds of times before. The skin beneath his hand was like warm silk, wet as he slid down further. Yuna’s body formed one perfect, pale arc as she pushed into his hand and Tidus hurried as she gasped and whimpered against his chest.

From years of playing blitzball, Tidus had strong hands and endless stamina. He could caress Yuna for hours, rub his fingers inside her without ceasing. His silent rule was three rounds for his wife before he even  _ thought  _ about his own pleasure. Hell, the first time she had worn that fuchsia and violet Lady Luck sphere, Tidus had been awake until near sunrise, reaching into those cut-outs in the skirt to touch Yuna. His wrist had been useless the next day but...it had been worth it.

His rule was not conducive to hurrying. 

“Oh…” Yuna’s breath was cool against his ear and the wicked part of Tidus wanted to please her until she could not whisper and had to cry out. He would take whatever crushing punishment Squall or Cloud would visit on him if only he could hear his wife raise her sweet voice. Both of her arms were around his neck; she no longer needed to guide his wrist as he knew her body as well as his own. “ _ Ah _ , Tidus…”

Tidus touched her softly while he dealt with the remainder of his clothes but it was difficult to focus when…

...when Yuna was flushed pink down to the tops of her breasts and her hips swayed into his touch. When he dipped his fingers inside her, Tidus saw brief flashes of blue and green as her eyelashes fluttered, and she keened into the hot line of his throat. Though he was only moving his hands, Tidus was warm and perspiring, every part of him clenched tight in desperation for Yuna. 

He felt the firm muscles of her inner thighs shake and knew. They both had their little tells.

Tidus overheated and Yuna trembled.

He liked when those sweet, honest muscles were tight against his cheeks and ears, vibrating as he refused to separate his mouth from her. When they had the luxury of time, he’d lick two or three rounds from her, going until his tongue was sore and Yuna--sweet, poised Lady Yuna, his  _ wife _ \--started cursing and pulling his hair. For now he’d have to settle for his fingers, quick and strong, as he stroked her in firm, wet circles, the muscles of her legs clamped against his wrist.

Yuna indulged him just as he managed to shimmy his blue undershorts off his hips. The trembling rippled from her hips up her body in one quick jolt and Tidus abandoned his shorts in favor of cupping his wife’s head against his shoulder. Yuna’s cry was softly muffled, one hand yanking his hair while the other gripped his wrist; he didn’t slow his fingers until she was limp again. 

“Tidus…more...” She leaned her head back to look at him, eyes blurry with adoration for him and Tidus wanted to personally spit in the chaos god’s eye. He had delighted his wife--his  _ wife _ \--twice already but it wasn’t enough. 

He wanted to do it until the sun rose.

His fingers were slick as he hooked the band of her bottoms, pulling them down softly in case she changed her mind. She raised her legs helpfully by way of response and Tidus was--as always--unprepared to see her bare from the waist down. He felt like he was being filled with fire, his lips trembling a little just like they had on his wedding night...and almost every night since. 

The white cloth came down again and rested against his chin. He knew he must have looked absolutely feral. “ _ Again _ ? Can I do it again? Can I do more?”

Yuna laughed softly as she pulled him closed. “There’s no point in drooling on my shirt if you’re going to keep removing it.” Tidus laughed at his own impatience, even though he was still running hot. “Please, Tidus.  _ Hurry _ .”

“Sorry, sorry.” The cloth went back to resting on his tongue...as much as he wanted Yuna to be on his mouth instead. Yuna giggled, her mismatched eyes content as she watched him and Tidus promised himself that, on their first day back in Spira, he’d keep his tongue between her legs until she fainted.

She was not joking about hurrying; her hands were steadier as she helped him out of the last of his clothes, Tidus kicking his boots off with his heels. Yuna laughed as she heard a splash but Tidus’ level of care was in the negatives. 

He’d fight Chaos with wet shoes if he had to, but Spirans knew better and made their clothes waterproof. 

Thank god for the gag. 

Once his body was bare, the way he liked, he felt like he could yell in relief. He overheated so easily and the air was as refreshing as Yuna’s touch. And Yuna did not help. 

Taking a whole split second to enjoy the cool night air clearly did not constitute as ‘hurrying’ to her. Before Tidus had even finished drawing breath, Yuna pressed gently on his lower back as she shifted up. He caught her by the waist on instinct and groaned as she slid down onto him in one smooth roll of her hips. The heat inside of her was exquisite enough that Tidus had to dig his fingernails into his palms to keep from falling apart. 

He could never tire of this.

It took him a moment to compose himself and not climax immediately. Yuna softly moved her hands down to the muscles of his ass on the first thrust and he stayed pressed as deep as possible inside her for a long moment, savoring the feeling again. 

“H-Hurry!” She begged, her eyes wide as she looked up at him. “ _ Please _ .”

Tidus slid his hips back slowly before thrusting back as quickly as possible, his hips rubbing firmly against Yuna’s. It seemed to hit the ‘hurrying’ aspect she was begging for, because pleasure hit her hard again and she clenched hot and tight around him.

It seemed to have caught her by surprise as she yelped loudly, biting Tidus’ shoulder before she could make any more noise. The pain was strangely...nice and Tidus paused in favor of watching her.

When she had recovered, he pulled his gag down. “Maybe  _ you _ ought to be wearing this.” He knew his smile was smug.

“It suits you too much.”

Yuna grabbed his left wrist with surprising speed and strength; Tidus had been resting some of his weight on that arm and nearly fell, face first, into the ground. 

He wasn’t too concerned about the close injury. 

Not when Yuna took the hand she had commandeered and placed it firmly over her mouth. When she looked at him, her eyes had that blazing determination that had faced down Bevelle and Sin and what was left of Tidus’ tiny reserve of common sense. He was notoriously bad at following directions but...Yuna could bring him to heel with her eyes alone.

She wanted his hand on her mouth? It would stay there until she pulled it away. 

Now that Yuna was mellow and relaxed again, he could go slower, his pace gentle. Normally vocal, it was agony to bite down on the little noises he made, especially when Yuna’s legs wrapped tight around his waist in an effort to pull him close. It was good, so good.

The anticipation of getting caught was so potent that each helpless movement of his hips threatened to undo him. Hell, the soft scratch of Yuna’s fingernails on his scalp and back were too much to bear. Tidus heard her muffled desperation in vibrations under the pads of his fingers. She wanted it  _ faster _ , she wanted him to hurry, to rub against her sensitive hips so hard that she screamed through his palm.

He was nothing if not willing.

Yuna jerked and quivered as he ground close to her, his hips moving in hot circles. Her grip was white knuckled on his wrist, holding it in place, as the both of them yelped in tandem. After a fourth round within the hour, Tidus felt the warmth of her bubble over, spilling down his hips in hot, wet lines.

It was all too much for Tidus and he just let his body do as it liked.

All his praise and cries and chants of her name came out strangled through the cloth and Yuna alternated between crying out and suckling the hot skin of his palm. He was melting into her, so hot he felt like he was glowing hotter than the sun.

Tidus was getting close, his skin burning up from the inside, and it seemed Yuna could sense it; after so many nights and days of lovemaking, she was getting those subtle nuances of his movements and breath. She began to pet and soothe him gently, her cool hands like a balm on the back of his neck.

His hand shifted on her mouth allowing her a split second to speak. “ _ Ah _ ! Husband--”

Tidus felt his most precious title in a quiver up his spine and he gripped Yuna tight at the waist and the shoulder. His hips and legs shuddered, the intensity more than winning blitzball and plummeting towards Bevelle and falling through time and killing a god combined. The dark gold at his hips was pressed flush against Yuna and the heat he had accumulated poured out of him, into her. Tidus’ body jerked once, twice, and then he collapsed limp and panting into Yuna’s open arms.

When he slumped--the fire inside him gone to a low, pleasant simmer--he made sure to rest his weight on his shins and elbows so that he did not crush Yuna back into the earth. Her cool hands were like heaven on his forehead, slicking back his bangs in a way similar to how his old man had styled his dark hair. 

Her slim hands reached behind his head and Tidus felt the cloth go slack, falling from his mouth. The corners of his mouth were a little sore and he vaguely wondered if there would be bruises there in the morning. 

Yuna’s cool fingers traced his lips until he kissed them. 

“Feel better?”

Tidus laughed into the elegant line of her collarbone. “I do. Never realized that waiting could be so... _ good _ .” Understatement of the century; Tidus had never been very good at tempering himself but he considered abstaining for two or three days at most if this intensity was the payoff. “And you? Beautiful wife.” Yuna laughed and blushed so Tidus pushed. “My beautiful wife.”

“Shhh, you’ll wake them up.” The slight possessive quality of her smile was more than enough and Tidus grinned down at her. She choked back a squeak as he rolled over so that she was on top of him. “It is... _ exciting _ though.”

“We  _ like _ exciting though.” Besaid was so calm, Tidus felt it was healthy to raise a little hell every now and again. 

He liked when she wore her dresspheres to bed, each foreign garment like a puzzle to pull apart or shift around so that he could find the spots of precious bare skin between the gaps. He liked when Yuna took control of him, his wrists knotted with the rope that usually tied around her yellow sash. When their small home seemed oppressive and small, a simple blanket could be hidden behind a cluster of heavy fronds, and they could make love with most of their clothes still on, Yuna’s heels digging small furrows into the sand.

He had wanted to make love to her in the defunct Besaid temple or the Cloister of Trials, but Yuna had drawn the line there, her blush deeply red.

Abstaining for short periods and covering their mouths in the heat of the moment was fairly tame in comparison. He only hoped that his memory would remain intact after they returned to Spira.

Yuna rested her head on Tidus’ chest and he stroked her hair, “If we have to fight that war tomorrow, then...at least I won’t have any regrets.”

Tidus frowned slightly, unable to agree. “I will.” Her eyes were wide with concern until Tidus opened his mouth again. “I have not loved you nearly enough for my liking. This Chaos fellow will need to allow me another thousand nights of this for me to go without regret.”

She indulged him with the loveliest sound in Spira as she started to laugh against the skin of his golden-brown chest. “ _ Only _ a thousand?”

“A hundred thousand.” He amended. “Think we can make up the difference in a single night?”

Yuna was the picture of innocence. “If only there was a way to find out.”

Tidus never rested so well as when Yuna slept on top of him, her cool, bare skin like a balm on his body. He woke before her and just...took a moment to admire her beautiful, beloved face. His wife...

Though he tried to dress her without jostling her awake, he gave up with the complex cross of her top and simply rummaged for a dressphere. He found her festival dress--the pink cotton dress covering her as soon as he touched the sphere--and simply pulled up his shorts by way of dressing. He was barefoot and bare-chested as he carried Yuna out into the main camping area, unsurprised to find some of the others awake. 

In fact, he wasn’t sure if Cloud Strife  _ ever _ slept.

Cloud was resting near the blackened remnants of the campfire, Tifa dozing against his chest, one of her hands clutching the strap across his body as if to keep him in place. It certainly was a bold position for simple childhood friends but...he wasn’t about to test Cloud’s good humor by prying.

Rinoa was also there, bright-eyed and bubbling with energy, though Squall was nowhere in sight. 

“He’s off looking for breakfast.” Rinoa softly supplied the answer as Tidus took a seat midway between her and Cloud. 

“Noa, sometimes I swear you can read my mind.” He murmured in response and Yuna shifted at the sound of his voice. He noticed Rinoa turn a little pink and Cloud cleared his throat, the skin there covered in round bug bites.

“Something like that. Sleep ok, Cloud?”

“Nope.”

Cloud did not sound at all put out by the poor quality of his sleep and Tidus wondered errantly if he was missing something as Rinoa grinned wider, her flush deepening to red. Cloud narrowed his eyes at her, though there was no real venom there; he was no match for Rinoa. 

“You, Tidus?”

“Fantastic.” He rested his cheek on Yuna’s head. “I’m ready to kill a god.” Again.

“Me too!” Rinoa’s smile was dazzling with energy. “I feel like I could float.” She did a moment later, hovering a good two feet off the ground. When Cloud shook his head at her antics, she responded by blowing golden magic at him. Cloud tensed tight, choking on a yelp as he too began to float in midair. 

Tidus and Rinoa giggled about the expression on Cloud’s handsome face until Squall came back.

Squall returned as Yuna and Tifa were waking up, his leather jacket filled with massive brown eggs, and Rinoa was so delighted to see him that the charcoal in their fire pit came ablaze again. It startled a rare grin from him.

Thank the gods for Squall’s quick reflexes, he had set the eggs down the moment Rinoa had noticed him. He was currently in the process of stumbling back after she had launched herself into his arms. “Rinoa! Watch the eggs--” The eggs began to float as a response. 

“Good morning.” Tifa murmured to the lot of them as she stretched out her arms. She seemed not to have noticed her ‘bed’ and turned crimson as her materia when she saw Cloud looking up at her. Those two were strange…

Yuna opened her eyes at the ruckus, immediately smiling when she saw Tidus looking down at her. “Tidus.”

“Morning.” He kissed her forehead, delighted, as he was every morning, to see her smile at him again. Despite that they were being made to fight the battles of another...there were still fond memories. After all, he did have fun with Tifa and Cloud and Squall and Rinoa around.

And his wife was with him. His  _ wife _ . 


	13. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Final little epilogue for everyone!  
> I think after they returned to their worlds, they forgot most of their journey with Cosmos but...I think their bond with each other was so strong, they remembered some little things. Also there were just so many little things that couldn't leave my head: Rinoa humming the hymn of the Fayth, people launching themselves over Cloud's head, Tidus being REALLY into dressphere roleplay.  
> In any case, thank you all for stopping by to read! I love Final Fantasy so damn much, I assure you I'll be writing more stories for it in the future. Enjoy!

**Disc 4-Memory**

_ Balamb Garden, Commander’s Suite _

One of the many things Squall found positively and irresistibly charming about Rinoa was her inability to beat him at Triple Triad. She had no poker face, very spontaneous strategy, and he could guess her moves at least two turns before she made them. It also helped that they had a telepathic bond. 

Maybe that was the reason he had begun to make wagers with her when she was feeling bold enough for a game.

He brought it up lightly as they both lounged across their shared bed, Squall beyond debating whether people would talk if they didn’t go to dinner yet again. 

Competitive and wicked, her eyes shot sparks as Squall lightly suggested that they make the game a little more...interesting. “Commander Leonhart,” he watched her as she tossed back her dark hair, exposing her elegant white neck, and he was  _ overcome _ with the need to win, “are you suggesting what I think you are?”

Squall had shuffled the cards lightly, trying to keep the imagery out of his mind. “If you’re scared you won’t win, we don’t have to.”

Fire was all but rolling off of her. He’d have to watch to make sure she didn’t cheat. “It sounds like something Irvine would come up with.” That was  _ exactly _ where Squall had gotten the idea, scoffing at Irvine at the time but...the idea would not leave him.

“We don’t have to.” Squall smiled, knowing that she was unable to resist. 

Rinoa had scooted closer to him on the bed. “I’m not afraid of you.”

They played a variant where each round the loser removed a piece of clothing. Rinoa, chaotic in a rare moment of strategic genius, removed her shirt at her first loss in hopes that her perfect, bare chest would distract him into making a mistake. It had worked and he had lost badly the second round in favor of watching the way she kept her cards resting on the tip of one nipple. 

Two could play at that game, and he stripped off his shirt as well, letting Rinoa get a good look at the muscles and scars of his torso. Her thoughts of what she wanted to do with his chest hit him like a slap in the face. If she had her way, he was going to look like some wild creature had gotten hold of him. 

But he didn’t let her win again.

Rinoa complained near constantly, mentally accusing Squall of cheating as her clothes built up in a little pile at Squall’s hip. He simply sent sweet, loving thoughts her way, which...somehow incensed her further. 

_ Good _ . Things got interesting when she was irritated.

In the end, she was left in her lacy black underwear and--of all things--her boots, the wild thing. The look of determination in her eyes when he beat her again was...something else. ‘ _ You’re going to forfeit. _ ’ She insisted.

‘ _ Oh, am I? _ ’

Rinoa raised her legs straight up in the air in one milky line, stripping off her underwear in one smooth move. This left her naked, except for her knee-high boots.

And Squall forfeited, his discarded cards fanning on the floor of his room as he all but dove into her open arms.

It was the middle of the night before she finally dislodged her claws and her mouth from his torso and, despite the passion of their lovemaking--how he had made her scream and dig the tread of her boots into his lower back--she had kept her magic mostly bottled inside.  _ Mostly _ .

Squall was fairly certain the two of them had begun to hover during one of her orgasms and he had heard the high-pitched whistle of boiling water coming from the general direction of their shared bathroom.

Small steps.

Squall was wrung dry. It was never the bone tired exhaustion he got after a long fight; this pleasant tiredness was warm and soft.

As he rested his head on her chest, Squall was calmed by the feeling of Rinoa stroking his hair and the feeling of the ocean breeze coming in from their open window. He thanked his past self for making the decision to land the school so close to the crystal blue waters of FH. Maybe later, in the dead of night, he and Rinoa could go out and swim in the ocean; the idea of her pale body bright against the dark water had him nearly ready to sleep with her again. 

But...he was also tired. 

She sang softly under her breath as she lightly scratched his scalp and Squall felt like he was floating.

Though Rinoa’s voice was not as strong and fine as her mother’s had been, it was still beautiful enough to make Squall’s hair stand on end. He was unfamiliar with the song she was singing though. The words were foreign and slow, the hymn-like melody almost keeping time with the waves, and Squall could imagine her dancing in time to the beat, sashes at her hips swirling over the water.

Maybe he  _ had _ heard the song before. 

“What’s this song, angel?”

“Hm? You know...I don’t know. I’m not sure where I heard it but, being by the ocean brought it into my mind.” Her dark eyes flicked over to the open window. “Makes me want to do something aesthetic, like dance on the surface of the water.”

Squall could imagine it in his mind, closing his eyes: her slender body moving in elegant circles, the tips of her wings dragging ripples through the surface in time with the music.

‘ _ It’d look pretty, Noa… _ ’ he murmured in the privacy of his mind.

“Noa?” He had only ever called her ‘angel’. This ‘Noa’ was new. And yet…

Squall did not respond, having fallen into a doze on the soft swell of her chest, and Rinoa grinned in helpless adoration as she continued to stroke his hair and sing. Something, some memory was at the edge of her fingertips and she wanted to remember.

So she kept singing, letting the hymn drift out her window, over the ocean...

_ Seventh Heaven, Edge _

Even though she kept the bar in impeccable shape, Tifa had a habit of cleaning up when she was nervous. Cloud was coming back within the next day or so and, after a third washing of the bar, she realized that she would soon start washing the wood grain off the countertops. It was also blazing hot inside the bar.

She had invested in two ceiling fans, but it was not helping as much as she’d hoped. 

Luckily their shower was very fond of running cold after the first five minutes and Tifa decided to rinse off before he came home. Just in case he decided to...or if she--no, it was just because she was sweaty. 

Barret and Reeve had the kids for the afternoon, so she shed her unbreathable leather clothes as she walked up the stairs; shoes, shirt, shorts and gloves being swapped for the ratty bath towel she kept hanging from a peg in her room. Her undergarments were not in much better shape than the towel after the underwire in her last good bra had split from the seams and nearly stabbed her in the breast. She had had to make do with just the undershirt these days, her underwear more faded gray than blue after so many washes.

It was a shame good underwear was so expensive. She could hardly hope to appeal to anyone with--

She shook her head, hot in the cheeks. No, there was...no seducing planned anytime in the near future, regardless of the state of her clothes. 

“Nothing hotter than faded old underwear, eh?” She asked, cocking her hip to an invisible partner who definitely did not have spiky yellow hair and endless blue eyes and a rare little smile that made her want to--

“Uh.” She whirled ready to fight...and then immediately wanted to die. “Um, they’re not so bad. You can buy new ones i-if you need them.” Cloud tactfully kept his eyes on his pockets. He was halfway up the steps, his shoes gone--probably filthy and left at the door, making him all but silent--and it was wildly unfair how good he looked coated in dust and freckled from the sun.

She’d been having dreams about loving him, no longer under the Highwind but...in some soft, safe forest, his eyes glowing in the dark. Of course she would remember those dreams  _ now _ .

“Didn’t hear you come in.” She breathed.

“Didn’t think anyone was home.” He admitted, his eyes flicking very carefully to her face. “The front door was locked and the kids weren’t outside. Was gonna shower and then give you a call.” She noticed then that his buckles were undone and his zipper sat low, his sweater gaping almost halfway down his stomach. Suddenly it was even hotter than before. 

“There’s...not--I’ll have to check the water boiler.” She murmured, thinking of how fickle the hot water in Edge was. “Or I can--”

“You can go first--”

“You’ve been on the road--”

“I don’t mind--”

“Or we could--”

“ _ We _ ?” Cloud did not blink as he looked at her face. “ _ We _ what?”

Tifa suddenly lost her train of thought in favor of imagining her lips counting those pale freckles on his cheeks, checking carefully to see if he freckled anywhere else, “...conserve water…”

Cloud turned pink as he looked at whatever expression Tifa was making. His eyes were all but glowing. “Ok.”

“ _ Ok _ ?” Tifa’s threadbare towel slipped through her fingers but Cloud swiped it up in one graceful motion as he climbed the rest of the stairs and covered the distance between them. His free hand he extended to Tifa, inclining his head. “Ok, what?” She took his hand on instinct. 

Cloud finally looked down from her face, taking in her flimsy undershirt and decidedly unsexy underwear, before he met her eye again. His smile was disarming. “Conserving water.”

Tifa followed him into their claustrophobic bathroom, her hand errantly groping for the water spigot as she passed, Cloud closing the door behind her. Thank the gods one of the kids had left the plug in the tub; conserving water had been forgotten as Tifa helped Cloud out of his dirty clothes and...found that the favor was almost immediately returned. 

She heard the voices like music in her mind as Cloud wrapped his arms around her waist, his lips at her neck: “ _ Bet he’s very handsome. Very brave too. Strong. Not very charming. Shy. But we can forgive that because-- _ ” 

And the rest was lost to lips and steam. 

Tifa fixed the both of them a drink after the feeling came back into her legs and hips. She was wearing one of his old sweaters and one of her leather miniskirts beneath it.

“Last job paid really well.” Cloud said, after he had finished his first drink and jokingly ordered a second. “You can get new underwear if you need it.” Then he flushed, covering up the few hundred freckles peppered across his nose and cheeks. “Or...you don’t have to wear underwear at all. I don’t mind either way.”

“There’s so many other things we need…” 

“Tifa,” he reached out to clear the damp hair from her face and smiled at her again, “we’ve got the money. If you need it, get it.”

Tifa smiled back at him, feeling bold from how good their...bath had been. “Is there a color you like?” Cloud looked up at her and the blue of his eyes was intense in comparison to the red on his cheeks.

“Let’s go and see.” He said, polishing off the rest of his drink. 

“You’re seriously going to come?” She laughed, trying to imagine Cloud being at all relaxed around colorful, lacy lingerie. That only seemed to steel him further, in spite of his blush. 

“I’ll follow your lead, Commander Leonhart.”

It hit her like the bolt of a Lightning spell: gray eyes, dark hair, a slim scar across the bridge of a handsome nose. She felt a rush of fondness over this young man she could only barely remember. Cloud’s brow was furrowed like he was trying to remember as well. 

“Leonhart?”

“Sorry...Commander Lockhart. Shall we?” While Tifa finished her drink, he went to grab his money and put on a shirt, his hand errantly rubbing at the long scratches she’d left on his handsome back.

Before Tifa could lose her nerve, she ran up behind Cloud, using his wiry shoulders as a springboard so that she could leap completely over his head. Helpless laughter bubbled out of her core in midair and Cloud had to steady her as she landed, she was laughing so hard. 

“What was that all about?”

“I...I just wanted to.” She laughed. “I just...thought it would make you smile.”

He was smiling, smiling down at her as he kissed her. 

_ Besaid Beach, Besaid _

It was amazing how Yuna kept finding dresspheres tucked away, in pockets and bags and drawers; she was hardly vain but...it seemed like a waste to discard them when Tidus liked them so much. While the Aurochs were expanding another small room onto her’s and Tidus’ home, she took a small basket full of spheres to the beach near the Besaid caves and began trying them at random.

Some of them were from her time in the Gullwings, while some Tidus had purchased for her. But there were a handful she did not remember.

Like the one with the blue duster that swirled around her ankles, two heavy silver rings bouncing against her breastbone, or the simple cream colored dress that was so short and silky that it might have been a nightgown, had it not been accompanied by matching heels. There was a black leather outfit that she removed almost immediately, the leather unbearable in direct sunlight. 

Of course Tidus would come to find her when she was trying on the final one.

A small white top baring her stomach and an even smaller black skirt held up by suspenders. Black stockings went up to her thighs and heavy boots sunk into the soft sand as she turned to look at herself.

“That one’s new.”

Yuna smiled and braced herself as she turned to see Tidus standing at the very edge of the path back to the village. His chest was completely bare, golden from sweating under the sun, and he had that dazzled look in his eyes that was always there when she woke up next to him or danced or wore anything new.

“You on a break?” She asked, wondering how long she could keep him before Wakka came to search.

“A long break.” Tidus nodded. 

“I’m so happy to hear it.” Whoever had owned this outfit had had the foresight to put shorts underneath the tiny leather skirt and Yuna slid them off in one easy motion. It was perfect for Spiran weather, very breezy. 

It always amazed her just how quickly Tidus could move when he  _ really _ wanted to. 

He was in front of her the moment she straightened back up, his stride quiet on the sand, his warm hands at the very hem of her skirt. Yuna quietly thanked whoever it was who had let her copy their outfit.

In the end, the top, the boots, and the gloves were the only other things that Tidus asked her to remove and Yuna watched--with gold and white stars in her eyes--as her toes curled and pointed in the lovely black stockings. The tickle spread over her in warm waves and she curled her hands around the suspenders that were supposed to be keeping her skirt in place.

Tidus was actively sabotaging it, his hands at the waistband of the skirt, Yuna’s legs tossed across his shoulders.

“ _ Tidus _ .” She felt as though she could tear the straps with her bare hands.

Tidus looked up, resting his wet chin on her stomach as he grinned up at her. “Yes?”

“We’ll get caught if you go much longer.” It had been almost an hour and her thoughts were starting to numb. “And they might send Lulu this time.” If anyone could strike fear into Tidus’ heart, it was Lulu.

“Ugh, fine.” Tidus kissed her navel before rolling to his feet, hoisting her up as well. He glanced at her bare chest between her suspenders and sighed in dismay. “What a cruel thing, to have to leave my beautiful wife half-dressed on the beach. Maybe I  _ will _ fight Lulu…”

Yuna bounced up on her tiptoes to kiss Tidus and clean some of the sand from his golden hair. “Go on, cool your head. I’ll be waiting here.”

“You too!” Tidus laughed and tossed her something from the recesses of his pockets. Yuna caught it instinctively and felt a pulse of cool, refreshing air seep from the item into her skin. When she looked at it, she saw a large green globe that glowed and shimmered as she shifted it, like pyreflies had been caught inside the crystal depths.

Somehow she remembered the marble hitting Tidus on the head but--

“Where did you get this?” She asked. “ _ What _ is it?”

“I...honestly don’t remember.” Tidus laughed, scratching the back of his neck. “It’s nice and cool though. Almost like a stone made of ice magic. I’ve been keeping it close in case it gets too hot.” 

“ _ Oh _ !” Yuna set it on her collarbone and the effect was instantaneous. Goosebumps raised on her skin as it tightened in response to the cold, her nipples hardening to points between the straps of the suspenders. Of course Tidus noticed and she smiled at him apologetically; it was partly his fault for giving it to her and for being so weak to the natural effects of her body.

She laughed as he crouched in the sand, his head in his hands, the green crystal falling to the beach. 

“Tidus! Sorry, sorry!” She laughed helplessly. “I wasn’t expecting it to be so cold. Tidus!”

He looked up at her and sighed. “Oh hell...I’ll fight Lulu.”

And then he was laughing too, Yuna kissing his open mouth as he picked her up and spun her around in the sand. Her  _ husband _ . She had a  _ husband _ . Her sweet, funny, beloved husband.


End file.
